Tennessee Child Support Guidelines
If you share a child with a person you are no longer married to or were never married to, chances are you have heard of Tennessee Child Support Guidelines. In Tennessee, a person’s child support obligation is calculated pursuant to a child support worksheet which is governed by the Tennessee Child Support Guidelines.
A child support calculation is determined by a number of factors:
- the number of children between the parties
- number of days out of the year spent with each party
- each party’s gross (not net) income
- cost of health insurance
- cost of work related child care.
Other factors may come into play such as if either party has other children or if the child has extraordinary medical or educational expenses.
What is Considered Income?
Income to each party is considered in the The Guideline as follows:
“Gross income of each parent shall be determined in the process of setting the presumptive child support order and shall include all income from any source (before deductions for taxes and other deductions such as credits for other qualified children), whether earned or unearned, and includes, but is not limited to, the following:
(i) Wages;
(ii) Salaries;
(iii) Commissions, fees, and tips;
(iv) Income from self-employment;
(v) Bonuses;
(vi) Overtime payments;
(vii) Severance pay;
(viii) Pensions or retirement plans including, but not limited to, Social Security, Veterans Affairs Department, Railroad Retirement Board, Keoughs, and Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs);
(ix) Interest income;
(x) Dividend income;
(xi) Trust income;
(xii) Annuities;
(xiii) Net capital gains;
(xiv) Disability or retirement benefits that are received from the Social Security Administration pursuant to Title II of the Social Security Act or from the Veterans Affairs Department, whether paid to the parent or to the child based upon the parent’s account;
(xv) Worker's compensation benefits, whether temporary or permanent;
(xvi) Unemployment insurance benefits;
(xvii) Judgments recovered for personal injuries and awards from other civil actions;
(xviii) Gifts that consist of cash or other liquid instruments, or which can be converted to cash, or which can produce income such as real estate, or which reduces a parent’s living expenses such as housing paid by others; in whole or in part;
(xix) Inheritances that consist of cash or other liquid instruments, or which can be converted to cash, or which can produce income such as real estate;
(xx) Prizes;
(xxi) Lottery winnings;
(xxii) Alimony or maintenance received from persons other than parties to the proceeding before the tribunal; and
(xxiii) Actual income earned during incarceration by an inmate.”
Details that may Complicate Child Support
Although the calculation of child support can be simple if all the information is accurately provided, it can sometimes be complicated. Details such as housing allowance from the military, and capacity to earn a salary as in the past may complicate the process but are addressed in the Tennessee Child Support Guidelines.
It is very helpful to have representation when modifying child support or establishing a new order for child support.
If you have questions about the Child Support Guidelines in Tennessee, give Held Law Firm a call at 865-685-4780.
