Parents that are divorced may find it difficult to keep track of all of their rights and obligations concerning the custody and support of their child. A mother who has experienced these issues herself recently created an online application that aims to help solve them.
A divorced mother with a background in technology has created a company with a product designed to help divorced parents with scheduling and child support issues. The product is called SupportPay and it allows divorced parents to coordinate their schedules and manage their tax and child support payments online. She feels that parents are so eager to get through the divorce process that they often overlook child support payments and custody schedules. The online application is modeled like corporate applications and uses third-party pay systems to ensure that child support payments are scheduled and made on time.
When parents divorce and one of the parents is granted primary physical custody of a child, the other parent is often ordered to pay a portion of their income as child support. This allows the child to be supported by each of their parents and for the parents to share in the costs associated with raising the child. In Georgia, the amount to be paid is based on a shared income method that factors in the incomes of both parents and the costs associated with raising a child. Based on these factors, a rate table is applied to help a court determine the amount necessary for child support.
Parents seeking a divorce should be aware of their rights and responsibilities regarding decisions that concern the custody and financial support of their child. If a parent is ordered to pay some of their income for child support, they must be sure to stay current with their payments for the benefit of their child. If they feel that their income is insufficient for the amount to be paid, or if they feel that circumstances have changed since the order was made, they may request the court that the amount be modified. A family law attorney can assist a parent with the process of determining child support.
Source: New York Times, "Software for Sorting Out Child Support," Quenten Hardy, Dec. 26, 2013