Child Support

When you go through a divorce proceeding in the state of Oklahoma you are going to have to try to work with your former spouse in an effort to reach agreeable divorce terms. One of the matters that must be addressed is that of child custody, and this is the single most sensitive issue for many divorcing couples.

It should be noted that there are two different forms of custody. There is what is called legal custody, and this involves the authority to make decisions in behalf of the children. These could be medical decisions, school or religious choices, or things like granting them permission to play sports.

The other form of custody is physical custody, which refers to the child’s primary place of residence. According to Title 43 of the Oklahoma Statutes the parent who does not have primary physical custody, who is termed the“obligor,” must make child support payments to the custodial parent or “obligee.” The amount that must be paid is determined using the Income Shares Model in conjunction with the Oklahoma Child Support Guideline Schedule.

Here is an example that demonstrates how the income shares model works. Jake and Linda are divorced and they have two children who are named Melissa and Ben. Linda has primary physical custody and the Oklahoma Child Support Guideline Schedule states that $700 per month is required to support the children. Jake earns $3,200 per month, and Linda makes $1,800 a month. The total monthly income of the two parents combined is $5,000, and Jake is making 64% of that amount. So in accordance with the Income Shares Model Jake must pay 64% of the $700 that is required by the state to care for the needs of Linda and Ben. So under this hypothetical scenario Jake’s monthly child support payment would be $448.

For more information about child support contact a Lawton OK family attorney for a free consultation.