Just like all other laws and regulatory policies in our country, the Indiana divorce law and child support guidelines also undergoes frequent changes and updates. Here are a few recent updates to Indiana divorce laws and child support guidelines you will want to know if you have an Indiana divorce or are considering getting a divorce in Indiana.
Top Updates in Indiana Divorce Law and Child Support Guidelines
#1: According to the latest Indiana law updates that came into effect from January 1, 2016, if there are certain living costs being funded by a parent that are now being financed on a regular and continuous basis by that parent’s new spouse or someone else, for example, a family member, then the assumed expenses can be considered as imputed income to the parent who is availing the assistance.
#2: If you are getting an Indiana divorce, you would be interested to know that the updated child support guidelines and divorce laws in Indiana clearly state that the Social Security benefits availed by a custodial parent based on their disability will be included in their income for the purpose of estimating child support and will also be considered a credit towards their child support obligation.
#3: The recent Indiana divorce law and child support guideline updates removes language that earlier allowed an automatic abatement of support upon the emancipation of child by virtue of age or some other undisputed event and adds language that says that parents should request to alter or cease a support order when a child (children) becomes emancipated as per Indiana law.
#4: According to the revised guidelines,the controlled expenses that are typically paid by the custodial parent include education expenses like textbook rentals, lab fees, and lunches. However, the expenses involved in optional school activities like sports or clubs – which are not expenses incurred by all students – are classified as “other extraordinary expenses”.As stated in the guidelines earlier, these expenses will be borne by both parents on a pro-rata basis if both parents agree that their child should participate in these activities. If not, several factors such as both parents’ ability to pay, which parent wants the child to participate in the activity, the reasons why one parent wants the child to participate or not participate in the activity etc. should be considered while determining responsibility for the costs.
#5: While the earlier version of Indiana divorce law and child support guidelines stated that an adjustment to weekly gross income of parents shall be done for children naturally born or legally adopted following the current support order, the revised guidelines state that the adjustment will be done subsequent to the birthdate of the child who is the focus of the child support order.
#6: If you are divorcing in Indiana, you should know that the latest updates to Indiana divorce law and child support guidelines contain additional information on how you should calculate the health care coverage costs for the child. For example, only the portion of the health care insurance cost that is attributable to the child who is the subject of the child support order will be added to the basic obligation. If the health care coverage includes someone other than the child who is the subject of the child support order, for example, a new spouse, then the total premium should be prorated so as to determine the cost per person.
Please note that these are only some of the recent updates to the Indiana divorce laws and child support guidelines. A sound awareness of the complete laws and guidelines is essential if you want to avoid the unpleasant consequences of noncompliance.