In Texas and across the United States, divorced parents do not always make the same child support payments. In fact, payments vary sharply depending on the state in which the divorced parent resides. For instance, a parent living in one of the Rocky Mountain states pays the lowest child support payments. However, a parent living in the Northeast pays the highest payments. Furthermore, some state laws do not count the divorced mother’s income. Child support payments are $100 higher in these states.
According to research conducted by Custody X Change, a move of only 28 miles could change a parent’s child support payments significantly. A parent residing in Bennington, Vermont, may need to pay $519. However, a parent residing in neighboring North Adams, Massachusetts, may pay as much as $1,187 in child support payments. A parent residing in Virginia may only pay $402 a month to support their child. Since states make their own legal regulations about child support, each state has different formulas for calculating the payments.
In addition, judges do not always agree about the amount of money parents should pay to support their children. Although the cost of living should count as a major factor, each state has legislators viewing daily expenditures in varied ways. However, the study conducted by Custody X Change bases its research on hypothetical situations rather than hard facts. Some of the statistics cited by the study show that the stated income earned by either parent does not match 2015 Census report data.
When thinking about divorce as related to child support, some states want to ensure that the parent can afford to make the payments. Divorce is often a complicated matter, especially when children are involved. Parents contemplating divorce may want to set up a consultation with a family law attorney.