Child support is one of the most important—and often confusing—aspects of divorce and separation when children are involved. Parents consistently ask the same questions: How much will I pay? How is it calculated? What expenses does it cover? At Bucklin Evans Law Firm, we believe in providing clear, straightforward answers to these critical questions.

Attorney Tatiana Gidirimsky, with 22 years of family law experience, has answered thousands of child support questions throughout her career. Here are the five most common questions parents ask about child support in Washington State, along with the answers you need to know.

5 Most Common Child Support Questions Answered: A Washington State Guide

Excerpt

Confused about child support? Attorney Tatiana Gidirimsky answers the five most frequently asked questions about child support in Washington State—from how it's calculated to how long you'll pay, plus the additional expenses many parents don't expect.

Question 1: How is Child Support Determined?

Washington State uses a standardized approach to calculating child support, which removes much of the guesswork and subjectivity from the process.

The Standard Calculation Formula

Child support is determined using a mathematical formula called the standard calculation. This formula considers just two primary factors:

The number of children you have together
How much money each parent makes

That's it. The calculation is straightforward and designed to ensure consistency across cases. Washington State provides worksheets that plug these numbers into the formula to produce the basic child support amount.

Understanding Income for Child Support Purposes

When we talk about "income" for child support calculations, we're referring to gross income from all sources, including:

Wages and salaries
Bonuses and commissions
Self-employment income
Rental income
Investment income
Retirement benefits
Social Security benefits
Unemployment compensation
Workers' compensation
Disability benefits

Some income may be imputed (assigned) if a parent is voluntarily unemployed or underemployed without good reason.

Child Support Can Change Over Time

The initial child support amount isn't set in stone forever. Child support can be modified when there has been a substantial change in circumstances, such as:

Change in either parent's income: If one parent gets a significant raise, loses their job, or experiences other income changes
Disability of a parent: If a parent becomes disabled and their earning capacity changes
Change in the number of children: If additional children are born or older children age out
Change in expenses: Such as significant changes in daycare or medical costs

Child Support Adjustments

When the change is based specifically on income changes, it's called a child support adjustment. Washington law allows for child support adjustments every two years, even without a substantial change in circumstances.

However, adjustments don't happen automatically. One parent must take action by filing a motion for adjustment of child support with the court. This ensures the court has current financial information and can recalculate support based on present circumstances rather than outdated income figures.

Question 2: Will I Pay Child Support or Will I Receive It?

This is often the first question parents ask, and the answer depends primarily on one factor: where the child lives most of the time.

The Basic Rule: Residential Time Matters

If your child lives with you more than 50% of the time, you will receive child support from the other parent.

If your child lives with the other parent more than 50% of the time, you will pay child support to the other parent.

This makes intuitive sense—the parent who has the child living with them more frequently incurs more day-to-day expenses for food, housing, utilities, clothing, and other necessities. Child support helps balance these expenses between both parents based on their respective incomes.

Equal (50/50) Custody Arrangements

What happens when parents share custody equally, such as in a week-on/week-off arrangement? In these situations, the parent who earns more money typically pays child support to the lower-earning parent.

This recognizes that even when parenting time is equal, there's still a need to balance the economic resources available in each household. Children should have a relatively similar standard of living in both homes, and child support helps achieve this goal.

Exceptions and Deviations

As with most legal rules, there are exceptions. If the incomes of both parents are very close or identical, the court may deviate from the standard calculation and order:

Lower child support than the formula would suggest
No monthly child support at all
Other alternative arrangements

When the court orders something different from the standard calculation, it's called a deviation. Washington State has specific statutes outlining acceptable reasons for deviations, but these apply in only a small minority of cases.

Important Clarification: Overnights Don't Affect the Basic Calculation

Many parents assume that the number of overnights their child spends with each parent affects the child support calculation. This is not true for the standard calculation.

The only information that goes into the worksheets for calculating standard child support is:

Your income
The other parent's income
The number of children

The residential schedule (who has the child and when) determines who pays and who receives support, but the number of overnights does not change the dollar amount of the basic child support obligation in most cases.

Question 3: Will the Court Consider My New Spouse's, Partner's, or Roommate's Income?

This question comes up frequently, especially when parents have remarried or are living with a new partner. The concern is understandable—will your new household income affect child support?

The Short Answer: No

The income of other adults in your household does not enter into the mathematical calculation of standard child support. This includes:

Your new spouse's income
Your significant other's income
Your roommate's income
Any other adult household member's income

Child support is based solely on the income of the child's biological or adoptive parents—no one else's financial situation factors into the calculation.

Disclosure Requirements

While other household income doesn't affect the calculation, Washington courts do require you to disclose this information. You'll need to report household income on your financial declaration, even though it won't change the child support amount.

Why must you disclose it if it doesn't matter? Courts need a complete financial picture to understand your overall household circumstances, even if that information doesn't directly impact the standard calculation. In rare deviation cases, broader household circumstances might be considered.

Focus on Parental Responsibility

This rule reflects an important principle: parents are responsible for supporting their children based on their own income and earning capacity, regardless of who else they choose to live with or marry. Your new spouse didn't create the obligation to support your children from a previous relationship, so their income isn't part of the equation.

However, if you're seeking a deviation from standard child support, the court may consider the broader context of your financial circumstances, including support you receive from a new spouse or partner.

Question 4: Do Parents Have to Pay for Expenses Beyond the Monthly Child Support Amount?

Many parents are surprised to learn that the monthly child support payment doesn't cover everything. This is one of the most important questions to understand clearly.

Additional Expenses Parents Must Share

Yes, in addition to the standard monthly child support payment, both parents are typically required to share the costs of:

Extracurricular Activities: Sports leagues, music lessons, dance classes, summer camps, and other enrichment activities

Uninsured Medical Expenses: Co-pays, deductibles, prescription medications, dental work, orthodontics, vision care, therapy, and any other health-related costs not covered by insurance

Work-Related Daycare: Childcare expenses that allow the custodial parent to work or attend school

Long-Distance Transportation Expenses: If one parent lives far away and the child must travel by airplane or other means for visitation, these costs must be shared

Other Agreed-Upon Expenses: Parents can agree to share additional costs like private school tuition, special equipment, or other child-related expenses

How Are These Extra Expenses Divided?

Here's the critical part that many parents don't understand: these additional expenses are not automatically split 50/50. Instead, they're divided in proportion to each parent's income.

Calculating Proportional Shares

Let's look at two examples to understand how this works:

Example 1: Equal Incomes

Parent A earns $5,000 per month
Parent B earns $5,000 per month
Combined income: $10,000 per month
Each parent earns 50% of the combined income
Result: Extra expenses are split 50/50

Example 2: Unequal Incomes

Parent A earns $10,000 per month
Parent B earns $5,000 per month
Combined income: $15,000 per month
Parent A earns 66.67% of combined income
Parent B earns 33.33% of combined income
Result: Parent A pays approximately 67% of extra expenses; Parent B pays approximately 33%

Why Proportional Sharing Makes Sense

This proportional approach ensures that children can participate in activities and receive necessary care regardless of which parent has lower income. If expenses were always split equally, the lower-earning parent might not be able to afford their half, which could deprive the child of important opportunities or necessary care.

Keeping Track of Expenses

Parents should maintain careful records of all qualifying expenses and communicate clearly about how costs will be shared. Many parenting plans specify procedures for:

Notifying the other parent about upcoming expenses
Obtaining consent for discretionary expenses over a certain amount
Submitting receipts and documentation
Making timely reimbursement payments

Question 5: How Long Do I Have to Pay Child Support?

Understanding the duration of child support obligations is essential for long-term financial planning.

The Basic Rule: Until Age 18

Child support is typically paid until the child reaches age 18 or graduates from high school, whichever occurs later. This means if your child turns 18 during their senior year of high school, child support continues until graduation.

In Washington State, child support can extend beyond age 18 if the child:

Is still attending high school
Has special needs or disabilities that require ongoing support

But Wait—There's More: College Expenses

Many parents are surprised to learn that their financial obligations don't necessarily end when child support terminates. Washington courts can require parents to contribute to their children's college expenses, even after the child turns 18.

Post-Secondary Education Support

Washington State law recognizes that in many families, parents would have contributed to their children's college education if the family had remained intact. Therefore, courts have the authority to order parents to contribute to post-secondary education expenses.

What College Expenses Might You Pay?

Court-ordered college contributions can include:

Tuition and fees
Room and board (if living on campus or away from home)
Books and supplies
Required equipment (like computers or lab materials)
Transportation to and from school

How Are College Expenses Calculated?

Courts have specific guidelines for calculating college expense contributions, but the general principle remains the same: expenses are typically divided based on each parent's income, just like the additional expenses discussed in Question 4.

Factors the court considers include:

Each parent's income and resources
The child's income, savings, and ability to contribute
The availability of financial aid and scholarships
The child's academic performance and motivation
The standard of living the child would have experienced if the family had remained together
Whether the child is enrolled full-time in an accredited institution

Limitations on College Support Obligations

Courts don't require parents to fund unlimited education. Typical limitations include:

Support is generally limited to obtaining a bachelor's degree
The child must maintain reasonable academic progress
Support is limited to a reasonable time period (usually four to five years)
Parents may not be required to pay for expensive private schools if more affordable public options are available

Planning Ahead

Smart parents address college expenses in their divorce decree or parenting plan, rather than waiting for disputes to arise when children approach college age. This might include:

Agreements about which schools are acceptable
Caps on total parental contributions
Requirements for the child to apply for financial aid
Grade point average requirements
Expectations about student employment or contribution

Beyond the Basics: Additional Child Support Considerations

While these five questions cover the most common concerns, there are additional child support issues worth understanding.

Medical Insurance Coverage

Courts typically require one or both parents to maintain health insurance coverage for the children if it's available at a reasonable cost through employment. The cost of this insurance premium is factored into child support calculations.

Tax Considerations

Child support payments are not tax-deductible for the paying parent and are not considered taxable income for the receiving parent. This differs from spousal maintenance (alimony), which has different tax treatment.

However, the parent claiming the child as a dependent for tax purposes can receive significant tax benefits. Custody orders or parenting plans typically specify which parent gets to claim the dependency exemption, or whether parents will alternate years.

Enforcement of Child Support Orders

Child support is a court order, and failure to pay can result in serious consequences:

Wage garnishment
Interception of tax refunds
Suspension of driver's licenses or professional licenses
Contempt of court proceedings
In extreme cases, jail time

Washington State's Division of Child Support (DCS) can assist with enforcement of child support orders.

Modifying Child Support

If circumstances change significantly, either parent can file a motion to modify child support. Don't simply stop paying or reduce payments on your own—this can result in serious legal consequences and accumulation of arrears (past-due support).

Always seek a court order modifying support before changing payment amounts.

Why Accurate Child Support Calculations Matter

Getting child support right from the beginning is crucial for several reasons:

For Children: Child support ensures children have the financial resources they need for food, shelter, clothing, education, and activities, regardless of which parent they're staying with at any given time.

For the Receiving Parent: Accurate child support provides necessary financial resources to care for the children and helps balance the economic impact of having children living with you more than half the time.

For the Paying Parent: Understanding exactly what you're required to pay—and what additional expenses you might be responsible for—allows for proper financial planning and budgeting.

For Both Parents: Clear agreements about child support reduce conflict and misunderstandings down the road, which benefits everyone, especially the children.

The Importance of Legal Guidance

While Washington's child support formula is designed to be straightforward, many cases involve complexities:

Self-employment income that requires careful calculation
Variable income from commissions, bonuses, or seasonal work
Income from multiple sources
Questions about voluntary underemployment
Decisions about appropriate deviations from standard calculations
Disputes about what qualifies as a "substantial change in circumstances"

An experienced family law attorney can ensure that:

Your income is calculated correctly
All appropriate deductions and credits are applied
The other parent's income is accurately reported
Additional expense-sharing provisions are fair and clear
Your child support order is enforceable and sustainable

Moving Forward with Confidence

Understanding how child support works in Washington State empowers you to make informed decisions and advocate effectively for your children's financial needs. Whether you're negotiating a parenting plan, responding to a child support motion, or considering a modification, knowing these fundamentals puts you in a stronger position.

Remember the key takeaways:

Child support is calculated using a formula based on income and number of children
The parent with less residential time typically pays support to the parent with more time
New spouses' or roommates' income doesn't affect the calculation
Parents share additional expenses proportionally based on income
Support continues to age 18 (or high school graduation), plus potential college contributions

Get Expert Help with Your Child Support Questions

Every family's situation is unique, and these general guidelines may not address all the specific circumstances of your case. If you have questions about child support—whether you're establishing it for the first time, seeking a modification, or dealing with enforcement issues—Bucklin Evans Law Firm is here to help.

Our experienced family law team has helped countless Washington families navigate child support matters with clarity and confidence. We'll review your specific situation, explain your options, and work to achieve an outcome that serves your children's best interests while protecting your financial rights.

Disclaimer: This article provides general legal information and does not constitute legal advice. Laws vary by state, and every divorce case is unique. Consult with a qualified family law attorney in your jurisdiction for advice specific to your situation.