Helping people in child support matters in Central and Eastern Oregon

Child Support

Oregon has statutory guidelines used by the court to determine a child support award. It is important to have an attorney who can help navigate the process and protect the client's interests and those of the children involved.

Child Support Factors

Child support is determined by a state formula that takes multiple factors into account, including:

  • Number of children
  • Amount of time spent with each parent
  • Each parent's income or earning potential
  • Child care costs
  • Cost of health insurance paid by the parents and additional financial obligations.
  • Tax filing status and deductions
  • Special hardship circumstances, such as high medical costs of a child.

If parents cannot agree on the amount of child support, the court will evaluate the factors and make a ruling on which parent will pay and the amount of the payment. The court has little discretion to vary the predetermined state formula for child support. However, the court has wide discretion to decide the figures that influence the dollar amount ordered. We will analyze financial information of both parties to help you reach a proper child support figure.

Child support payments are not tax-deductible to the paying parent, nor taxable to the receiving parent. You can find the Oregon Child Support Calculation at www.oregonchildsupport.gov/calculator

Modifications to Child Support

A child support order is modifiable if there has been a substantial change in circumstances that affects the support owed, including:

  • A change in the amount of time the child spends with each parent.
  • A change in income for either parent
  • Other changes in the children's financial needs, such as medical expenses that were not present the initial support order was made by the court
  • Hardships suffered by either parent
  • Retirement of either party
  • Changes in tax filing status and deductions.

The duration of child support is usually a standard length of time. Child support will be terminated when the children marries, dies, or becomes emancipated. In Oregon, child support is paid until the child is 18 unless the child qualifies as a child attending school. If a child is a child attending school as defined by statute, child support is paid until that child reaches age 21.

An experienced and diligent family law attorney can aid parents in navigating the complex statutory formula for child support. This is achieved through knowledge of the law and expertise in recognizing the important factors. With the right legal assistance, parties will get a child support order that correctly reflects the financial needs of each party and the needs of the children. Our attorneys have that experience.