Home
Establishment
Modification Child Support
Enforcement & Arrears
Contact
   
 


It is important to parents that their children receive the best possible quality of life that each can reasonably provide. That is why calculating the correct amount of child support paid by the parent without primary physical custody is often one of the most important tasks of any family court case. Child support in California is calculated by using a few different factors to obtain a Statewide Uniform Child Support Guideline Amount.

Establishment of Parentage and Child Support in Orange County

Establishing paternity is the legal process of determining the biological father of a child. When parents are married, in most cases, paternity is established without legal action. If parents are unmarried, paternity establishment may require genetic testing and a court order. Paternity must be established before the court can order child and medical support. For a more detailed discussion as it relates to your case, contact our office to schedule an initial confidential consultation to discuss your DCSS or Non-DCSS child support matter, call my office today at (714) 779-9800 or  (949) 720-0117. You can Contact me online.

Statewide Uniform Child Support Guideline- Orange County, CA.

Implementation of the Statewide Uniform Child Support Guideline is based on the
following principles (Fam C §4053):

• A parent’s first and principal obligation is to support children according to the parent’s circumstances and station in life.  

• Both parents are mutually responsible for the support of their children.

• The guideline takes into account each parent’s actual income and level of                     responsibility for children.

• Each parent should pay for the support of children according to his or her aility.

• The guideline seeks to place the interest of children as the state’s top priority.

• Children should share in the standard of living of both parents.

Child support may therefore appropriately improve the standard of living of the custodial household to improve the lives of the children. See Marriage of Cheriton (2001) 92 CA4th 269, 292 n13, 111 CR2d 755 (children have right to share in lifestyle of high-earning parent even if parent chooses to live modestly).

Adjustments and Departure Criteria - Lowering or Raising the Guideline Amount

The California guideline provides for other adjustments to income or the support order amount itself, including adjustments for additional support in cases involving factors such as low-income obligors, uninsured health-related expenses, and work-related child-care expenses.

Finally, the guideline sets out departure criteria in accordance with federal requirements., Fam C §§4055(b)(7), 4061–4063; see §§203.81, 203.89.Fam C §§4056, 4057 support that differs from the guideline formula, the court must state in writing or on the record all the following information (To comply with federal law, whenever the court is ordering an amount forFam C §4056(a)):

• The reasons the support amount ordered differs from the guideline.

• The reasons the support amount ordered is consistent with the children’s best interests.

If requested by any party, the court must also state the following information used in determining the guideline amount
• The net monthly disposable income of each parent.

• The actual federal income tax filing status of each parent.

• The deductions from gross income for each parent.

• The approximate percentage of time that each parent has primary physical responsibility for the children compared to the other parent.Fam C §4056(b)):

For a more detailed discussion as it relates to your case, contact our office to schedule an initial confidential consultation to discuss your DCSS or Non-DCSS child support matter. 

Law Offices of Michael B. Efron. We are located in Orange County, CA. Experience, trusted, and ready to help you navigate DCSS or any Non- DCSS child support matter.You can  Contact me online.

Call my office today at (714) 779-9800 or (949) 720-0117