Parents in Ohio are responsible for the children while they are growing up. This means that they must care and provide for their needs.
This is true whether parents are married, living together, or separated. It is also true even if one parent does not see their children as much as the other parent.
However, ensuring that this occurs when parents are separated can be more difficult. So, to ensure that both parents continue to at least provide for their children financially, child support is generally ordered.
In order to determine the amount of child support that the parents will pay, there are guidelines that state the presumed amount a parent will pay. These guidelines take into account each parent’s gross income, health insurance costs, child care costs, and the amount of time that each parent has with the children. However, not every situation is the same, and sometimes there are extraordinary circumstances that make the guidelines unfair.
So, judges can grant deviations from the guidelines in certain situations. In determining whether to grant a deviation, the court considers a number of factors. These factors include the unusual physical or psychological needs of the children; extraordinary costs associated with exercising parenting time; the disparity between each parent's income and assets; financial benefits one parent receives from remarriage or co-habitation; extraordinary work expenses one parent incurs; educational needs of the children and many other factors.
There are many parents in Ohio who are no longer with the other parent. These parents will have to make decisions regarding child custody and parenting time. They will also have to determine child support obligations. These are generally determined according to child support guidelines, but there are situations when deviations from the guidelines are appropriate. Determining deviations can be complicated, and consulting with an experienced attorney could be beneficial.