New GA Child Support Calculator

[lovindad]

Good Morning Soc.

I know you don't usually deal with state-specific questions, but I was hoping you could clarify one issue for me.

On the new GA child support calculator, which takes both the CP and NCP incomes into account, there is a line which I do not understand.

On Schedule A, Line 20, the form asks for "Assets which are used for support of family", for both CP and NCP.  According to some other boards, this is where we are both required to state our spouse's incomes.  

Eventually, if this is what the line is asking for, our spouse's incomes are calculated into the entire Gross Monthly Income on which child support is based.

I was under the impression that most states, even if they asked for a spouse's income, did not figure it into child support calculations.

1-Is the state of GA asking for my spouse's income on this line?

2-Will the state of GA use my Spouse's income to calculate my child support?

Thanks Soc!

[MixedBag]

I'm a trained mediator in the state of AL and when going through the class last year, it also covered GA laws where they are called neutrals.

We talked about CS because during mediation we have to give the divorcing parents a good idea on where that subject stands.

At the time I was going through class GA had just passed this new law and there was no mention that the new spouses' income was now going to be included in the calculations.  We were discussing the major shift from using one parent's income to both parent's income.  And the bigger topic of discussion was IF the new formula would be considering the amount of time a child spends with each parent and that was not included.

NV was/is a community property state and used 50% of my income as available to the spouse when calculating CS for my step-son, so I understand your concern.

Assets could also be stocks, interest bearing savings accounts, rental income (from Schedule E), and a lot of other stuff that lands on the front of the 1040.

Does the code or law give any guidance?

And it might end up being that case law down the road will answer your question.

[socrateaser]

Does that mean you are licensed to practice law in AL? If not, then you cannot give legal advice on this board -- mediator or not.

[socrateaser]

>1-Is the state of GA asking for my spouse's income on this
>line?

Can you point me to an online copy of the form. "Assets" generally does not mean "income," so my initial response would be "no." But, as this is all new GA guidelines, it's possible that the form is simply misleading.

Imagine that the government could publish misleading materials? Nah! Couldn't happen.

>
>2-Will the state of GA use my Spouse's income to calculate my
>child support?

I don't know GA support guidelines -- sorry.

[lovindad]

Thanks Soc!

The downloadable calculator can be found at:

https://services.georgia.gov/dhr/cspp/do/public/SupportCalcDownload

There is both an Excel and Adobe file, which ever you prefer.

That particular line is on Schedule A, Line 20.

Thanks again!

[socrateaser]

Income from wages is entered on Schedule A, Line 1. "Assets which used to support the family" means: income producing property, such as agricultural property which generates income. You would enter the income produced by the assets, not the value of those assets.

If there is a line with a more specific entry, like "royalties," or something like that, and your income producing asset is a royalty license, then you would enter it on the specific line. The "Assets which are used to support the family" line is a "catch-all" to pick up something that the court wouldn't ordinarily anticipate.