The state legislature in Idaho is responsible for determining what factors go into the child support formulas. These guidelines are found in the Idaho Revised Statutes 25-320 and places a universal standard upon the family law courts when awarding support.
Calculation software eases the burden for parents and family law professionals in figuring out what kind of payments will still support children yet not be unfair to the payee.
Factors in Idaho Guidelines
The Idaho guidelines factor in several parts when using the formulas to arrive at a fair and legal amount.
The four factors that go into the formulas for Idaho include:
- Gross income: For both parents, determine the total earnings before taxes or deductions by looking at tax records and current paychecks.
- Parenting time: Idaho gives the non-custodial parent a credit toward child support amounts based on the number of overnights in the custody schedule. The more overnights, the bigger the reduction in child support.
- Eligible children: The formula asks for the number of children who are under 18 or still in high school.
- Allowable deductions: Certain deductions reduce each parent’s gross income, creating an adjustable income to use in the formula. Acceptable deductions include health insurance premiums for the children.
Child Support Calculators
When calculating total amounts based on state guidelines, the potential for error and inaccuracy is great. Because of the complexities of the worksheets, the depth of the formulas and basic human error, often the results are simply wrong. Calculation software specifically designed for the Idaho state guidelines can eliminate error and produce accurate amounts quickly.
Idaho Child Support is one software program that always uses the latest guidelines from the state. Simply enter in the raw data from your case and allow the program to take over.
SUPPORT software is another option for Idahoans to use when figuring out how much to pay or receive. The program not only calculates amounts, but also includes a family information sheet, standard sole and joint custody worksheets, a tax benefit worksheet and more.
Benefits of Accurate Support
Determining accurate child support is the responsible thing to do, to ensure that the state of Idaho’s most uniform standard are being met. The amount reflects your ability to pay and merges that with average costs of living for the state. The payment you make or receive can also be modified as your income, schedule or other factors change.
Whether you pay or receive support in Idaho, learning about the state laws surrounding the formulas and calculations is an advantage in negotiating the terms of your child custody dispute or divorce. Using calculator software to figure out accurate amounts makes this process even smoother.