Finding Solutions To Complex Issues

Child Support

Meeting A Child’s Best Interests

Child support determinations are meant to promote the best interests of the child. Minnesota law presumes that a child has a right to financial support from both parents. The ultimate goal is to arrive at a calculation that meets the best interests of the child by requiring each parent to pay their fair share.

At the Huson Law Firm, PLLC, we believe that children are best served by two active parents, which is why it’s important to have shared financial responsibility for their upbringing. We’ve counseled many St. Paul area families toward child support determinations that emphasize the shared responsibility intrinsic to parenting.

Minnesota Child Support Overview

Child support is a broad category with three distinct parts:

  • Basic support includes the cost of a child’s housing, food, clothing, transportation, education and other necessary care expenses.
  • Medical support includes providing or making payments for the costs of health and dental insurance.
  • Child care support includes the costs of child care while the parent is at work or school.

The method of calculating the amount of support is called “Income Shares,” and it uses the following factors:

  • The gross income of both parents.
  • The number of children.
  • The amount of court-ordered parenting time, or visitation, used in calculating basic support. If the child custody arrangement places 10 percent to 45 percent of a child’s custodial care in a supporting parent, that parent may be able to get an adjustment of the basic support figure.
  • The “income shares” model presumes that both parents can or should work, so it considers “potential income” as a part of the calculation.

A family law attorney at the Huson Law Firm in St. Paul can explain these calculations and how they affect your specific circumstances.

Call Our St. Paul Office To Discuss Your Child Support payments

Our goal mirrors the law — two active, prosperous and responsible parents. We want what’s best for the child. With years of experience, our attorneys at the Huson Law Firm, PLLC, understand what’s most important when making these financial determinations. Call 651-968-0822 or contact us online to discuss your circumstances. We offer free initial consultations.