How Much Child Support Will I Get in Wisconsin?

How to Calculate Wisconsin Child Support

Child support is an obligation. If you've had children and you and your spouse are no longer together, that does not let your spouse off the hook for financially contributing to the support of the children. However, calculating child support in Wisconsin can be tricky because of extenuating factors available for paying spouses. There are general guidelines you can use to calculate what you'd get in Wisconsin, but be aware that the court can modify this amount in certain circumstances.
In general, the court will look at the Percentage of Income Standard to determine a basic amount of support. For example, if you have two children who primarily reside with you, and your spouse earns $2,000 gross per month, your spouse would have to pay you $500 per month in child support according to that standard. The percentage is applied to the gross income because the state does not want spouses hiding income through deductions and other tax and investment tricks.
However, the court can adjust the amount up or down. For example, if your spouse has to live in an expensive city because that's where the work is, then the court could reduce the amount you get so that your spouse can still pay basic costs like his or her own rent. Conversely, if the amount of child support is really too low considering your child's circumstances -- for example, maybe your child has a disability that requires extra medical treatment, which increases the amount of money you need to care for the child -- then the court can raise the amount of support.
Courts can also use non-wage/salary assets to calculate support. For example, if your spouse has many lucrative investments but earns very little from an actual job, the court can base the support amount on the income from those investments.
If you would like to discuss child support or think that your spouse is trying to evade financial responsibility, contact Eisenberg Law Offices. Our attorneys can help you get a child support amount that is adequate for you and your child's needs.
This post was originally published at https://www.eisenberglaw.org/much-child-support-will-get-wisconsin/