Factors Influencing Child Support

1. Parenting Plan (Residential Schedule)
   - While the amount of time each parent spends with the child does factor into support calculations, it does not override the fundamental principle that both parents must contribute to the child’s well-being.
2. Parent Income
   - Washington typically follows the Washington State Child Support Schedule (RCW 26.19) to calculate payments. Both parents’ incomes are considered, and the final amount is often proportional to each parent’s share of the combined income.
   - If a parent is unemployed or underemployed but capable of working, courts may impute income (often at least minimum wage) to ensure child support obligations are met.
3. Healthcare and Other Expenses
   ‍- Costs such as health insurance premiums, daycare, and other child-related expenses may be added to or factored into the basic child support amount.
   
4. Deviation from Standard Guidelines
   ‍- If parents wish to agree on an amount lower than what the statutory guidelines prescribe, they must provide compelling reasons justifying why this arrangement is in the child’s best interests. Courts rarely approve agreements to set support at $0 unless the parents have virtually identical incomes and equal residential time.

How Child Support Is Calculated

Washington’s Child Support Schedule establishes a monthly amount based on both parents’ combined incomes and the number of children. Once a court sets the basic support obligation, it will allocate each parent’s share proportionally based on their income.

• If you earn 60% of the total household income, for example, you may be responsible for 60% of the combined child support amount.
• If the child(ren) spend equal time with each parent but one parent earns significantly more, the higher-earning parent will likely pay support to the lower-earning parent.

Income Withholding

Courts often issue an Income Withholding Order (IWO) in cases where child support is required. This order instructs an employer to deduct the support amount directly from the paying parent’s paycheck. The employer then sends payments to the Washington State Support Registry, which forwards the funds to the receiving parent.