In January of 2007 the Minnesota child support guidelines underwent significant changes. Prior to the enactment of the present legislation found in Minnesota Statutes Section 518A, child support was based soley on the income of the obligor (the paying parent). Today, child support is based upon the relative income of both the obligor and
The Minneapolis Star Tribune recently published an article about the Minnesota child support guidelines that were amended as of January 1, 2007. Seems no one is happy with what was sold as a more equitable approach to calculating child support, despite the legislature’s goal of reducing acrimony among split parents.
Reporter Jean Hopfensperger provides examples
Many couples question whether they can deviate from the Minnesota child support guidelines by agreement. While the court ultimately has discretion to do so, it does not happen very often. In fact, we’ve had orders kicked back because our stipulated support calculation was off by as little as $5.00 per month. Courts consider child support
The court will “impute” income if your spouse is voluntarily underemployed. Rest assured, you have nothing to fear.
Let’s suppose your spouse is trained as a physician and decides, for the time being, to work as a waiter at a local restaurant. The court can take an individual’s education, work history, job opportunities in the
Following the entry of a child support order, the recipient of support has the option of receiving payment directly from the payor or through collection by the county child support office. Most recipients find the services offered by their local child support collection agency very beneficial. Child support officers not only collect monthly support payments