In Granite Bay child support cases, a common question involves how to treat variable income such as bonuses, overtime, doubletime, awards, etc. The support payor does not want these sources included in their support calculation because they have no guarantee of earning the same income in the coming months or year. The support recipient wants these income sources included because it does not seem fair to reduce their child support by ignoring income that was earned in the past.
The child support court will consider all forms of income in the computer calculation of Granite Bay child support. Income is broadly defined and includes gross wages, salaries, tips, social security benefits, unemployment, self-employed income, etc. It can also include unusual sources such as regular gifts from a person, disability payments, payments received in the form of living expenses paid, royalties etc.
For circumstances where one party earns variable and unpredictable income such as bonuses, commissions, overtime, etc, the court will implement a special schedule showing what percentage must be paid as child support if and only if the bonus income is earned. If the paying spouse earns no bonus/overtime income, no additional bonus child support is owed. This protects both parties from an unfair support order
If you are involved in a Granite Bay child support case and are unsure if your child support was correctly calculated, please give us a call. We can help you understand the Granite Bay child support calculation and look over your income sources for support. We offer free half-hour attorney consultations with experienced child support attorneys.