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CHILD SUPPORT
How Child Support is Determined in Washington
Under Washington law, a court is required to calculate the average gross and net monthly income of each parent. If a parent is not employed, the court can impute, or establish, an amount of income that the parent should earn. It will then combine the average net monthly incomes of each parent and consult the Washington State Child Support Schedule to determine how much support each child should receive from the paying parent.
If the child primarily resides with one parent, the other parent will pay child support as calculated by the Washington State Child Support Schedule. Even if the child resides with each parent an equal amount of time, the parent with the higher income can be ordered to pay child support to the parent with the lower income. The law allows the court to grant the paying parent a deviation, or a reduction in the amount of child support that is paid, for specific reasons that are described in Washington Law.
In calculating child support, the court will also apportion between the parents the responsibility to pay childcare, non-insured healthcare expenses and other expenses related to the child.