If your divorce established joint physical custody, then child support will be based on his gross monthly income and yours. Whoever makes more pays the difference to the other. So long as he makes more than you do, he will be paying you child support.
Based on the incomes of the parties and their individual percentage of the total parental income, the obligations of each parent are calculated. For example, if the total gross income for both parents is $10,000 per month, the presumptive support amount is $1,259 per month for one child.
The bottom line is that while joint physical custody can affect child support obligations in Georgia, it doesn't negate them entirely. The higher-earning parent will likely still owe some support, though the amount may be adjusted downward to account for their increased costs during parenting time.
Parenting time adjustment: The law now includes a mandatory adjustment based on the amount of time children spend with each parent. This change aims to ensure that child support payments are fairer and account for the actual time each parent spends caring for the children.
What that means is that a parent cannot waive any child support obligation that is due to the child. However, during a divorce or child support modification, the parties can agree, and the court can find, that no payments are owed if it is in the best interests of the child.
Lowering Your Payments Gather evidence of changes in circumstances. File a Petition to Modify Child Support. Argue that you are paying “extras.” In your motion, you may argue that you have been paying more than what the child support order required. Identify a change in financial circumstances.
Joint Custody Cons Joint custody does introduce a degree of instability into a child's life, as they have to go back and forth between each parent's home for visits. For younger children this lack of stability affects them more noticeably. Not every divorced couple is able to work together.
The Disadvantages Of Joint Custody This can be very difficult for some parents, especially if they don't get along. Arguments and conflicts often arise – If the parents have a contentious relationship, joint custody can actually make arguments and conflicts worse, since both parents have equal rights over the child.