5 FAQs About Child Support In D.C.
When I talk to my clients about child support they usually have several of the same questions regarding child support in Washington, D.C. I’ve taken a few of those frequently asked questions and provided answers to them below.
Q: How do I get child support?
A: To determine if you can receive child support you have to file a complaint with the D.C. Superior Court requesting child support from the child’s other parent.
Q: How soon will the court decide on child support?
A: When you file a child support case the court has to issue a Notice of Hearing and Order Directing Appearance to the other party and the hearing has to be held within 45 days of the filing.
Q: How do D.C. courts decide how much child support I will receive/pay?
A: For most cases D.C. courts rely on the D.C. child support guidelines. The guidelines are a set of calculations that use several inputs including, but not limited to overnight visits, the income of both parties, childcare expenses, healthcare expenses, alimony paid/received, and other items to determine the amount of support a child should receive. In certain cases if one party is below the poverty line, or the parties combined income is over $240,000 the guidelines may not apply.
Q: What is the difference between shared and sole custody for child support purposes?
A: The child support calculation is calculated as either “sole” if the child(ren) is with one parent more than 65% of the time, or “shared” if the child(ren) spends at least 35% (128 days) of the time with each parent.
Q: What age does the child stop receiving child support?
A: The age of majority in D.C. is 21 years old. When the child turns 21 they are considered an adult and child support stops.
Photo Copyright : Nina Podlesnyak
