When parents divorce, one of the main issues they must consider is how much child support one parent must provide to the parent who has primary physical custody of their child. In Georgia, child support obligations are based on the income of each of the parents. Recently, a woman, featured on the reality show "Real Housewives of Atlanta," and her ex-husband came to an agreement on child support payments.
According to reports, the woman's ex-husband, a former NFL player, has agreed to pay $75,000 in unpaid child support. He reportedly has missed 38 child support payments of $2,142. The two have also come to an agreement on revising the original child support obligation; the ex-husband will be making smaller payments of child support for the following year and is expected then to return to the original child support payment plan.
Child support may be determined by an agreement between parents or by a court order. Parents may choose to take an informal route in forming a plan, which may include the amount of child support and how long the payments must be made. In an informal approach, parents may choose to negotiate individually or include attorneys in creating a plan. Parents may also choose a form of alternative dispute resolution in which they may have a more active role in creating a plan.
If parents are unable to reach an agreement, they may choose to get a court order. In Georgia, child support guidelines are based on a shared income model, which takes into consideration each parent's income, the amount of custodial time each parent has with the child and the number of children that the parents support.
Sometimes, parents may be unable to make their child support payments due to changed circumstances. In these times, it is in the best interest of the child for parents to work quickly to create a modified plan for the child support payment.