Custody and SupportChild Support Lawyers in Minnesota

Child Support Lawyers in Minnesota

Custody and Support

Overview

Minnesota awards child support based on guidelines that help determine three types of support: basic, medical and child care support. The Court will consider the gross income of both parents in determining child support, and, in some cases, may impute income to one parent if the court finds that parent is voluntarily unemployed. In certain cases, the Court can also deviate from the child support guidelines. Read below for more information, or contact our Minneapolis, St. Paul or Eden Prairie offices to schedule a consultation.

Minnesota Child Support Guidelines

Children benefit when financial support is provided from both parents. The parent who the child lives with the majority of the time supports the child by providing a home, transportation, clothing, and other things.

Unemployment or Decreased Employment of a Parent

Sometimes, when a parent experiences a change in income through either unemployment or decreased employment, a modification of child support is appropriate. However, it is important to know that the law in Minnesota is that a child support award can be determined based on your potential income (as opposed to actual income) if the court thinks that you are “voluntarily underemployed.”

Child Support & Child Care Costs

The Court can also set child care support in addition to basic child support if a minor child is receiving child care as a result of the custodial parent’s work schedule and/or education schedule.

Medical Costs for Child

The Court also establishes health and dental support obligations for the minor child. Medical supportmeans providing health care coverage for a joint child by carrying or contributing to the cost of:

Tax Dependency Exemption in Divorce

An exemption is an amount of money you can subtract from your Adjusted Gross Income, just for having dependents. This will reduce the amount of income on which the parent who is granted the tax dependency exemption will be taxed.

Child Support Enforcement in Minnesota

Child support is intended to help pay for the care, support, health and education of children, so proper child support enforcement is a priority in many jurisdictions.