Family Law

Calculating Child Support in South Carolina

By Ben Stevens

One of the questions that we are asked most often is how much child support will be in a particular case. Of course, this question comes in several different varieties, including:  My friend only pays $X in child support, so why do I pay more?  Why does my friend receive so much more child support than I do?  If we have joint custody, will there even be any child support at all?

As you can see, there is a great deal of misunderstanding and misinformation when it comes to calculating child support in South Carolina.  Fortunately, many of these issues can be resolved with a minimal amount of effort.  The Department of Social Services Child Support Enforcement Division's website has an online child support calculator, as well as a copy of the actual Child Support Guidelines, which list all of the factors considered in these cases.

I would note that the online child support calculator can be used for an approximation of one's child support, but it is not nearly as accurate as Traxler Legal Software Solutions, LLC's Child Support Calculator, which is the one used by the Family Court Judges and attorneys.  If you are dealing with child support issues, you should contact an attorney as soon as possible to make sure your interests are protected.

Full post as published by SC Family Law Blog on November 04, 2009 (boomark / email).