Disadvantages of Using a Child Support Calculator
Child support calculators have many disadvantages. Here’s why you shouldn’t use a child support calculator in California.
The main reason why you shouldn’t use a child support calculator in California is that they can be inaccurate, and they don’t take all relevant factors into account. However, child support calculators can give parents a wide-range depiction of what their payments may look like.
They Can Be Inaccurate
A child support calculator can give a ballpark estimate of how much child support payments will be, but it’ll give a pretty ballpark. Unlike California courts, child support calculators do not provide specifically accurate payments. They can be useful to give a wide estimate of what child support payments can look like, but that estimate can be inaccurate. Ultimately, child support orders are made at a judge’s discretion in accordance with California laws. Calculators don’t have discretion, so it can be difficult to derive a monetary figure without considering all the facts.
Not All Factors Are Taken Into Account
The main problem with child support calculators is that they don’t take all relevant factors into account. Factors not taken into account by child support calculators can include custody levels, criminal records, histories of substance or domestic abuse, etc. These factors can significantly affect child support orders in court. Child support payments derived from the calculator can leave parents financially planning for that amount, when it may not even be accurate. Use that number as an estimator, not a guider.
Ask An Attorney Instead
The best way to calculate and estimate child support payments is to ask an attorney. An experienced child support lawyer can review all the relevant factors of your case and give an accurate estimate of what they believe child support payments will be. One of our affordable child support lawyers can help you calculate child support payments in California.
Free Consultation With a Child Support Attorney in California
If you need to calculate child support in California, contact us. We’ll get you in touch with the most qualified lawyer for your unique legal situation. Get your free consultation with a child support attorney in California today!