does getting married and having a family make a difference in child support?

Question

i live in louisiana,i was paying 516 on one child,well here we are now with a 20 month old and a five year old step-daughter,i am married and just wondering if it makes a difference.it is really hard to make ends meet and according to child support chart i am supposed to pay based on what i make.i mean does my family have to suffer financially because of some chart are they taken into consideration?

i am not at all saying i will not support all my kids i am saying a reduction thats all i a great father who never missed a beat.all i'm saying is can i get a reduction based on my family?

Answer 1

The sad thing is all the people who berate a man who has lost custody of his child and wants to have a family he can raise on a daily basis. It does not mean you want to give up on your other child but have the desire to have more. Your question was not about taking from one and giving to the other, it was a stand up honest question of whether it makes a difference.

What is really sad is no one berates the mothers who have custody and continue to have more and more kids - where is her accountability to think of the "FIRST" child when she keeps having more? OH, because she can collect checks for all those kids and not be accountable personally?

I don't begrudge anyone child support, I am supposed to receive it myself, but I hate to see a man belittled because he had another child with another woman. The second child is still a CHILD that needs to be cared for.

But in answer to your question, Yes, at least in Michigan, you get credit for additional children. You get about 10% for the first child taken off your gross wages before child support is calculated. The CATCH is that they figure you in a lower tax bracket so you have MORE take home pay and sometimes end up paying MORE child support to your ex than before because your new child makes you pay LESS taxes. It is unreal and happened to my husband.

So don't let anyone make you feel bad for having a new family. I dont see ANYONE trashing women who spawn kids with more than one father. It is a double standard and I hope your new relationship works out well and your baby doesn't suffer too much. We are in a similar situation but we do the best we can because we love all of our kids regardless which order they were born in. But kids are expensive whether you are with their mother or not, so you will have to find what works for you.

Answer 2

Should the child who you pay $516 for a month suffer because you decided to marry someone who already had a child, then you procreated again and had one yourself?

You needed to consider the child before you went into a relationship that spawned another. Now you have two children you will ALWAYS have to consider and support. Not to mention a step daughter for as long as you are married to the mother.

If your family is suffering financially, it is because you made bad decisions. Get a better job or get a second job. And pray mother #1 doesn't haul your **** back into the court system to get more money from you when you do.

But don't dare blame the children.

Answer 3

"does my family have to suffer financially because of some chart are they taken into consideration"

That should have been into consideration by YOU. You knew you had an obligation to pay child support before you acquired the other family. That was a voluntary decision on your part. Your child is not going to be forced to pay (via a reduction in child support) for your decision.

Answer 4

Strongly recommend you consult with an attorney. Some courts view the remarriage of the supporting father as a voluntary act and will not let up on requiring him to continue supporting his earlier children. Other courts permit a petition to reduce support for the same reasons you ask in your question. But an attorney will know...and will be able to tall you what to do if you can get a reduction in your support payments. Good luck.

Answer 5

The way the laws work is your first family comes first.Meaning you are financially obligated to your first children.Now you can get a lawyer and petition the courts and ask for your support to be lowered due to changes of circumstance.Depending on your annual income and the judge you draw will depend on your chances.still the court expects you to bare in mind as you move on with your life your prior obligations and tending to them.The court is looking at the care of your first child or children and your responsibility to them before you make more with another.It isn't that the courts feel your current family should suffer in order support your prior children.Though the courts will tell you,you should have bared that in mind before undertaking another family.They assess child support based on your yearly income.Not on how it is you live your life.

Answer 6

I think in some states it won't make any difference. But it is definitely worth looking into. You should check around for some free legal advice or even contact the state's child support services. They at least could answer that question. Good luck in taking care of all of your children.

Answer 7

It doesn't make a difference. You have a responsibility to pay for your first child. The court looks at it like this.. you knew you had your first kid before making the 2nd. You knew what your responsiblities were before, and should have planned accordingly. I don't neccessarily agree with that, but you may also want to go to court yourself and see if the guidelines have changed in your favor, 516 seems a bit high. Good Luck!!

Answer 8

Nope it makes no difference. The court doesn't care whether you got married to someone with kids, YOUR priorities are to YOUR children. According to the law Your biological children from your FIRST marriage come FIRST...before your new wife, before her children and before any children you and your new wife may have. I suggest you tell your new wife to make sure her child's biological father is paid up in child support and you might suggest she gets a job or you get a second job. You created your children, you have to support them.

Answer 9

Getting married does not come into play when it comes to the amount that a judge ordered you to pay...He did not tell you to remarry...and you did father a child and therefore it is your responsibility to support that child until she/he no longer meets age requirements....The only thing a judge can do is increase the amount...My advise to you is to get a second job if you have to and continue ti pay your child support...I do see where you mention a stepdaughter...doesn't her father pay support???..with children come many sacrafices and no one is sympathetic when it deals with children and their support...They do not ask to be brought into this world but they do require lots of tender loving care.....

Answer 10

NO> You have to go back to court to petition for a change in child support. It may go up and it may go down depending on your salery. Your new life plays NO part in your previous life.