Child Support Laws in Seattle and Washington State

In Washington State, child support is calculated by using a standardized formula and support schedule. The formula itself is not complicated and can be explained easily by a McKinley Irvin Seattle child custody lawyer. Only the income of the parents is used to calculate the basic child support obligation. However, the court may look to other factors as well.

Mandatory forms for child support are available at Washington State child support forms.

Monthly income includes not only the gross monthly wages of the parent, but also recurring overtime pay, dividends, and social security benefits, to name a few. Other factors that may cause the court to deviate from the standardized support calculation are too complicated to go into here. A Seattle child custody lawyer can explain the subtleties to you.

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In addition to the basic child support obligation, parents are normally required to contribute to other child related expenses such as daycare, educational costs, and uninsured medical and dental costs. Of course, an obligation to pay these expenses requires that the expenses be actually incurred, as any Seattle child custody lawyer will tell you. The court can either determine a fixed amount and add that to the monthly child support obligation, or the child support order as drafted by a Seattle child custody lawyer can specify that the expenses are to be paid as they are incurred, with each side paying their proportionate share. A Seattle child custody lawyer, again, can help determine the better way to pursue based on the circumstances of the individual case.

The Washington State Department of Child Support provides collection assistance for parents entitled to receive child support in addition to what your Seattle child custody lawyer can provide. Presently, unless ordered otherwise, a paying parent's ("obligor") support payment may be withheld directly from his or her pay and sent to the receiving parent ("obligee") by the Department of Child Support. Your Seattle child custody lawyer knows the process for income withholding to effectuate this.

Under Washington State family law, every parent has a duty to provide financial support for his or her child. In the event that the primary residential parent receives state aid to assist in supporting the child, the state may have a cause of action against the non-primary residential parent for reimbursement of any child support left unpaid, past or present, and a Seattle child custody lawyer can help defend against this action.

A Seattle child custody lawyer can also help get the court to order payment of the post-secondary educational expenses of a child. These expenses include such things as tuition, books, and living expenses. There are numerous factors that the court considers when determining whether a parent will be ordered to pay for the child's post secondary educational expenses, as well as several conditions that the child must satisfy. Often, this issue is not addressed in an initial child support order, especially when the child at issue is young. If this is the case, a parent wishing to receive post secondary educational expenses for a child must petition the court within a certain time frame as established by law.

As with any other family law issue, a qualified McKinley Irvin Seattle child custody lawyer should be consulted to ensure that child support obligations are determined fairly and accurately, and that the child receives the financial support that he or she needs.

For specific statutory language regarding the child support schedule, please refer to Chapter 26.19 RCW: Child support schedule.