Understanding Child Support in Arizona: A Complete Guide

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 Child support can be one of the most essential and hard-to-understand things to deal with during and after a divorce or separation. As a parent in Arizona, you might wonder things like "How much is child support?" or "What is child support used for?" This guide from Cervone Law P.C. tells parents in Arizona what to expect when it comes to child support, how it works, and how it is calculated. 

A court orders one parent to pay the other parent child support to help pay for their child's needs. The goal of these payments is to ensure that children can access the basic necessities they need, including food, shelter, clothing, education, and medical care.

In Arizona, both parents are responsible for providing for their children financially. Child support is not a payment to the other parent; it is a way to make sure the child has a stable standard of living that would occur had the parties stayed married.

Many parents ask, "How much is child support?"

The "Income Shares Model" is what the Arizona Child Support Guidelines are based on. This formula takes into account a number of things, such as:

• The income of both parents
• The number of children involved
• Childcare expenses
• Health insurance costs
• Parenting time (how much time each parent spends with the child)
  

There isn't one average child support payment for all children because each case is different. Arizona courts do have online calculators to give you a rough idea, though. A family law lawyer with extensive experience can also help you understand what will happen in your case.

Many parents wonder, "What is child support for?" 

In Arizona, child support is meant to pay for the child's basic needs, such as:

• Food and groceries
• Housing and utilities
• Clothing and shoes
• Education-related costs
• Medical care and insurance
• Transportation
  

The receiving parent can choose how to spend the money, but the goal is always to meet the child's needs, not to help the other parent.

Parents also want to know if child support can be taken from different kinds of income. This is what the law in Arizona says:

• Employment income: Yes, child support can be garnished from the paying parent’s paycheck. This is completed with an income withholding order.
• Disability benefits: Can you take child support out of your disability check? Yes, in many cases. If you receive Social Security Disability (SSD) benefits, child support payments can be garnished from your disability pay. Supplemental Security Income (SSI), on the other hand, is usually safe. However, there are exceptions to this process and limitations to the amount based on federal law.
• VA Disability: Can child support be deducted from VA disability benefits? Federal law protects some VA benefits, however, child support can be garnished from VA disability but like social security disability, there are limitations.
• Unemployment: Can child support take away your unemployment? Yes. Child support can be deducted from unemployment benefits if a parent is receiving them.

 The law in Arizona says that a parent can't have too much of their income taken away for child support. Depending on the situation, federal law limits this amount to 50–65% of disposable income. Child support can take a big chunk of a paycheck, but it usually can't take the whole thing. This is why the amount garnished is usually split up evenly depending on how often you get paid. So if you are paid twice a month, the amount deducted would be divided evenly into two payments.  

Parents also ask: “Is child support tax-deductible?” No, child support is not tax deductible. The paying parent cannot deduct child support payments from their taxes in Arizona or the federal government. The parent receiving child support does not report it as taxable income. 

 In Arizona, child support stops when the child is considered to be emancipated. A child emancipates when they either turn 18 years of age or graduate high school, which ever occurs later unless they are still in high school when then turn 19 years old.  Parents also ask: “Is child support tax-deductible?” No, child support is not tax deductible. The paying parent cannot deduct child support payments from their taxes in Arizona or the federal government. The parent receiving child support does not report it as taxable income. 

Child support cases can be very difficult, especially when parents have to talk about their finances, bills, and how the order will be carried out. Cervone Law P.C. can help you get through this tough time. Arizona residents can get help with all kinds of family law issues from Cervone Law P.C., from setting up child support orders to changing them when things change.

Child support can be hard to understand. We can explain how it works, what it covers, and how it affects your income.

Call Cervone Law P.C. right away to set up a consultation and protect your rights as a parent. In Arizona, child support stops when the child is considered to be emancipated. A child emancipates when they either turn 18 years of age or graduate high school, which ever occurs later unless they are still in high school when then turn 19 years old.  Parents also ask: “Is child support tax-deductible?” No, child support is not tax deductible. The paying parent cannot deduct child support payments from their taxes in Arizona or the federal government. The parent receiving child support does not report it as taxable income.