On June 12, 2013, Attorney Jessica Ecker attended a webinar sponsored by the New Hampshire Bar Association regarding the upcoming changes to the NH Child Support Guidelines. The new guidelines take effect for any order issued after July 1, 2013. The changes to the guidelines were based on a study performed by the UNH Cooperative Extension regarding the actual cost to raise a child at varying income levels.
The statute on child support will change after July 1 to lower the percentage of combined net income devoted to child support for parents earning more than $35,000 per year for one child or $50,000 per year for two or more children. As the incomes get higher, the percent of combined net income devoted to support decreases. For example, where a couple had one parent with net income of $100,000 per year and the other parent had no income, the income earning parent would have to pay roughly 25% of his/her net income for child support for one child under the “old” guidelines. Under the new guidelines, the income earning parent would have to pay roughly 20% of his/her net income. For very low income earners ($24,999 combined net income or less) the percentage increased slightly.
What does this mean for parents out there? If you are paying child support, earn more than $35,000.00 per year (combined with the recipient of the child support)and it has been three years or more since you reviewed child support or there has been some other sort of substantial change in circumstances (significant increase or decrease in your income, the other parent’s income, or a change in parenting arrangement), you may want to review your child support obligation to see if you could benefit from this change in the law. Remember, there are many other reasons why it may be a good idea to review your child support status, other than this change in the law.
Contact Attorney Jessica Ecker with current income information and your existing child support documents handy to schedule a free 15 minute phone consultation to see if reviewing child support may be beneficial to your individual situation.