Child Support

Does my ex have to exercise the visitation provided in the parenting plan?

Typically, a parenting plan will outline visitation beginning with a phrase along the lines of "During the term of this Parenting Plan the non-custodial parent shall have at a minimum the following rights of parenting time." If so, the non-custodial parent is not required to exercise his or her visitation time, but is allowed to do so.

Does each parent have to pay for half of extracurricular activities?

Extracurricular activities can be fairly minimal, or can be thousands of dollars per year, per child - especially if the word "travel" is involved. Because the costs are usually on the low end for younger children, parents often don't consider the costs at the time of separation, but only when they've reached their full, teenage levels. 

Does a parent receiving child support have to account for how the money is spent?

I'm frequently asked by parents who pay child support if they can demand an accounting from their ex of how exactly the child support money is being spent, as they don't believe it's going to the children (but rather a car, house, etc). This idea is the basis of the song "Gold Digger". 

How much child support will I pay or receive?

In Georgia, there's no simple answer to this - it's not a set amount per child, or a percentage of the payor's income. Instead, a base child support amount is calculated by a very complex formula and then altered as needed based on other circumstances. To calculate that base amount:

  • We look at how much both of the parents make, combined.