Oklahoma City Child Support Lawyer

Do You Have to Pay Child Support if You Have 50/50 Custody in Oklahoma?

In Oklahoma, the higher earner pays child support to the lower earner in a 50/50 split in parenting time. However, if the parties have the same or similar income and you have 50/50 time, there would be no child support obligation.

Do You Have to Pay Child Support if You Have 50 50 Custody in Oklahoma?

In Oklahoma, the higher earner pays child support to the lower earner in a 50/50 split in parenting time. However, if the parties have the same or similar income and you have 50/50 time, there would be no child support obligation.

Learn more about child custody service in Oklahoma.

Choose Mazaheri Law Firm for Trusted Child Support Legal Support

Our firm is dedicated to providing you with excellent legal service that is based on your individual circumstances. If you need assistance with any aspect of child support, whether as a divorced or unmarried parent, you can turn to one of our Oklahoma City child support lawyers attorneys for competent and attentive representation.

Child Support in Oklahoma

In Oklahoma, child support is required to be paid until the child reaches the age of 18. If still in high school, the child must continue to be supported until he or she graduates or reaches the age of 19, whichever occurs first. If the child is physically or mentally disabled, the court may require this support to continue past the age of 19. Parents can also come to an agreement to support their children through college and this can be enforced by the court. Child support is generally paid by the noncustodial parent to the parent with whom the child mainly lives.

Child support payments are determined by the state’s guidelines which is based on a formula. This formula takes into consideration the following:

• How many children will be supported
• Federal Earned Income Tax Credits
• Gross monthly incomes of both parents
• How much support is paid for children from a previous relationship
• Daycare costs
• Health insurance costs

The guidelines are based on a “standard” visitation schedule where the child spends 70 to 90 overnights with the noncustodial parent. Under Oklahoma law, shared parenting is considered to consist of each parent having 120 or more overnights each year. If more than these 120 overnights are established for the parent who is obligated to pay for support, a formula exists to make adjustments in the payment amount. Basically, the more overnights that parent has with the child, the less he or she will have to pay.

High-Income Cases

For parents with a high-income level as specified under law, courts will add an additional amount to support based on various factors, such as the child’s needs and standard of living as well as the parents’ capacity to pay.

Deviations

Deviations from the support payments determined by the guidelines may be granted by the courts as long as the child’s best interests are met. These deviations are generally based on the required amount being somehow unjust or unfair to a parent or not in the child’s best interests.

Enforcement & Modifications

Child support payment enforcement falls under Oklahoma’s Child Support Services operating under the Oklahoma Department of Human Services. Parents who fail to pay support can face such actions as wage garnishment, court fines and other sanctions, and loss of professional or driver’s licenses.

Support payments can also be modified through the courts when a substantial change in one’s circumstances justify it. These are commonly based on increases or decreases in parental income or a child’s changing needs.

Reach out to us online or at (405) 645-6022 for a consultation about your child support matter today.