Nevada Child Support

Divorce Papers > Divorce Child Support > Nevada Child Support

In every state in the United States of America child support is a major issue and many laws are formed to address this issue. In most of the states a worksheet or formula is used to find out the child support amount which the non-custodial parent pays to the custodial parent. Nevada is not an exception. The Child Support Enforcement program under Nevada Department of Health and Human Services is designed to ensure that children of divorced parents get adequate medical and financial support from their parents. As defined by the Nevada divorce child support guidelines, a certain percentage of a parent’s gross monthly income is used for this purpose, like 18 percent for one child, 25 percent for two children, 29 percent for three children and 31 percent for four children. An additional two percent is used for each additional child.

Before going through the details of these guidelines, let us cast a quick glance at some basic information. The Nevada Revised Statutes 125B.070 and 125B.080 consists of the following points:

• The court can award a minimum amount of support of 100 USD per month per child.
• An exception to the above point is when the obligor is unable to pay this amount and submits such a statement in written form to the court.
• Unemployment or intentional underemployment is not an adequate reason for deviation from the disbursal of at least this minimum amount.
• Gross monthly income includes any income that is received every month from any source to an individual who is not self-employed. It may also include the income of any person who is self-employed after deducting all legitimate business expenditures and without deducing any income taxes, contributions made for retirement benefits or to pension or for any other personal expenses.

Factors considered by court in Nevada Divorce Child Support

Upon particular findings of facts, the court takes into account the following factors and accordingly adjusts the support amount:

• The relative income of the father and the mother
• Any essential costs that result in the child's benefit
• The amount of time spent by the child with each parent
• Let us think of a situation in which the non-custodial parent has remained in the jurisdiction of the court that ordered the support and the custodial parent moved out of the jurisdiction along with the child. Then, the expenses of transport for the child during visitation are also considered.
• Whether the mother's pregnancy and confinement has resulted in any reasonable costs
• Whether some public assistance is being disbursed for the child's support
• The valuation of the services put in by each parent
• The legal responsibility of the father and the mother to support each other
• The child's age
• Whether the child has any special educational requirements
• The expense of child care and health insurance

All these factors are taken into account as mentioned in the Nevada Revised Statutes; Chapter 125B, Section 070,080 and 090 and Chapter 125, Section 230.

Highlights of Nevada Divorce Child Support payments

• The options for receiving these payments are as follows:
  • Having the payments deposited directly in the bank account
  • Transferring the payments in a debit card account i.e. Nevada Debit Card
• The concept of Direct Deposit is as follows: This is an electronic payment made directly to the bank account of the recipient. Whatever payment the child support program (State Department of Health and Human Services) has received on behalf of the recipient, the program directs the payment to the account. This is a quicker method compared to the time essential for the check to get cleared in the bank. This method also protects the payments from being stolen or lost.
• The concept of Nevada Debit Card: This is a Visa Debit Card and not a credit card. The payment is transferred electronically to the card account. The card holder can withdraw the money via any ATM. It is also possible to make purchases at points where Visa debit cards are accepted.
• If an individual selects 'direct deposit' method, he/she must fill in the 'Direct Deposit Information and Authorization Agreement.' On this application, the fax number and address are printed. The completed form must be faxed or mailed at this address. If an individual does not make a request for direct deposit, then there is an automatic issue of the state Debit Card. The State Disbursement and Collection Unit receive direct deposit applications.
• The issue of Debit Card is not affected by the credit rating of the recipient. Although, a person has a bad credit record, this card can be issued to him/her.
• One need not pay any fee in order to choose direct deposit. But it is advisable to check with the particular bank before opting for direct deposit.

Divorcing parents in Nevada must be aware of the child support guidelines, Income Share model, and the amount to be disbursed or received etc., so that they can fight their case smoothly without any legal hassles.

Divorce Papers