Child Support Calculator: How much will I receive?

A child support calculator can be a useful way of understanding how much the other parent may have to pay towards your child’s living costs, following the breakdown of your relationship.

A child support calculator can be a good way to get an idea of how much child support you may be entitled to. Both parents are responsible for the costs involved in raising a child. Child support – also known as child maintenance – is paid by one parent to the other parent following the breakdown of their relationship (it can also be paid even if the parents have never been in a relationship).

The purpose of child maintenance is to help cover your child’s living costs, now that the child’s other parent no longer lives with you.

Understanding how child support works is vital if you want to start planning for your future. Knowing how much the other parent may have to pay in child support can help you to begin to budget for life as a single parent.

Child support calculator: agreeing on an amount

You can use a child support calculator to help you and the other parent reach an agreement about the level of child maintenance the other parent should pay.

A child support calculator can provide you with a figure which you can use to begin discussions with the other parent.

If, for whatever reason, you are unable to come to an agreement with the other parent (with or without the child support calculator), you can make an application for child support through the Child Maintenance Service (CMS).

In this instance, a child support calculator can be used to give you an idea of how much child support you may expect to receive.

A child support calculator is useful – but it has its limitations

A child support calculator should be able to give you a good idea of the amount of child support you could expect.

However, if you are going through a divorce, it’s important to note that child support is only one element of what can be a highly complex process.

So while a child support calculator can be used to help you get an idea of a possible child support amount, it is no replacement for legal advice from a family solicitor.

Where can I find a child support calculator?

A child support calculator can be found on the government website.

Remember, this will only give you an idea of what you are likely to receive. A child support calculator will not provide you with a final figure.

Child support calculator: a good starting point

You could use the amount given to you on a child support calculator to begin discussions with the other parent.

A child support calculator can also help you to plan for the future.

However, a child support calculator cannot replace independent legal advice from an experienced divorce solicitor.

How can our expert divorce solicitors help you

Our expert family law solicitors can help you with a range of legal issues relating to divorce, including:

• Prenuptial agreements
• Cohabitation agreements
• Post civil partnership agreements
• Divorce
• Domestic violence and harassment
• Child maintenance
• Child contact arrangements
• Divorce financial provisions

Contact our expert divorce solicitors for advice

For more information call our divorce solicitors on 0845 862 5001 or email mail@austinkemp.co.uk.

Our expert family law solicitors offer a nationwide service. We have client meeting office facilities available, in order to have face-to-face client meetings / conferences as and when required in:

Leeds Office: St Andrew House, The Headrow, Leeds, LS1 5JW

Wakefield Office: Market Walk, Wakefield, WF1 1QR

Halifax Office: Old Lane, Halifax, HX3 5WP

Huddersfield Office: Northumberland Street Huddersfield, HD1 1RL

Coventry Office: Warwick Road, Coventry, CV1 2DY

Canary Wharf Office: 25 Canada Square, Canary Wharf, London, E14 5LB

Please contact us for more details.