How Child Support Is Calculated
Child support in Arizona is not left to a judge's discretion alone. The Arizona Supreme Court establishes guidelines that produce a specific dollar amount based on each parent's financial circumstances. The court follows these guidelines unless it makes a written finding that applying them would be inappropriate or unjust in a particular case.
The supreme court shall establish guidelines for determining the amount of child support. The amount resulting from the application of these guidelines is the amount of child support ordered unless a written finding is made, based on criteria approved by the supreme court, that application of the guidelines would be inappropriate or unjust in a particular case.
A.R.S. § 25-320(D)The guidelines account for several factors, including each parent's financial resources and needs, the child's financial needs and physical or emotional condition, the standard of living the child would have had in an intact household, and educational expenses. The court reviews these guidelines at least every four years.
Retroactive Support and Employment Presumptions
The court can order child support retroactively. If the parents lived apart before filing and no support order existed, the court may order support going back to the date of separation, though no more than three years before the filing date. This retroactive application uses the same guidelines.
Arizona law also includes an important presumption: every parent is assumed capable of working full-time at the applicable minimum wage unless contrary testimony is presented. This presumption does not apply to noncustodial parents under eighteen who are still in high school. Medical insurance for the child is also addressed. The court can order one or both parents to maintain health coverage and assign responsibility for uninsured medical costs.
For families going through a divorce, understanding how child support interacts with the overall financial picture is important. Child support obligations affect estate planning decisions, particularly when it comes to life insurance requirements and ensuring support continues if something happens to the paying parent.