Parents have a legal duty to protect and take care of their children. When parents are divorced, both parents begin paying child support to continue supporting their children. Here is a brief overview of the child support process in Oklahoma.
Child Support in Oklahoma
Oklahoma requires parents to support their children, whether they are married or divorced legally. When parents begin living apart, the state steps in to ensure that both parties keep up this monetary support.
Parents must pay child support until their child is no longer a minor, or until the age of 18. If the child has not graduated high school by 18, parents are expected to continue paying child support up until graduation or 19, whichever comes first.
Parents are not allowed to waive their responsibility to pay child support. If a court has ordered a parent to pay child support, they cannot escape this responsibility by moving across state lines.
Paying Child Support in Oklahoma
Oklahoma has established a set of child support laws to serve as guidelines. These laws determine the amount of child support from each parent based on their income level.
How Child Support Is Calculated in Oklahoma
Many factors go into how child support is calculated in Oklahoma. The first factor is each parent’s adjusted gross income. These numbers are combined to display the family’s total gross monthly income.
The gross income can be calculated in the following ways:
- Income equivalent to a 40-hour workweek
- Average monthly income for the past three years
- The minimum wage of a 40-hour workweek
The following factors are also taken into account when calculating child support:
- The amount of time the child spends with each parent
- How many children the parents have together
- Monthly health payments made by either parent
- Educational payments made by either/both parents
- Number of overnights spent with either parent (shared parenting)
- Costs of traveling for visitation for either parent
Calculating Child Support In Shared Parenting
The idea of “Shared Parenting” affects the amount of child support paid by either parent. If a parent has custody of a child for more than 120 nights a year, the law assumes that this parent is spending more to care for them.
They are known as the obligor. This formula adjusts the child support depending on the number of overnights shared with the parents. The higher the number of overnight stays with this parent, the less the obligor has to pay.
Contact Reddy & Feldhake, P.C to Help With Your Child Support
If you need a lawyer for your child support matter or simply have questions about the process, our lawyers are here to help.
We’ve been guiding Oklahoma residents through the child support process for many years. Our lawyers are ready to help you navigate these legal waters.
To contact us, give us a call or fill out our online contact form. We will be in contact with you soon to start your child support process.