All parents have a duty to support their children financially and this obligation does not end when a marriage ends.
As such, child support is a key element of any separation agreement in Nebraska or elsewhere in the U.S.
Child support primarily covers the expenses necessary for the day-to-day care of the child, such as food, shelter and clothing.
This is handled on a state level, with specific child support guidelines provided by the state of Nebraska to help custodial and noncustodial parents understand their obligations.
Here we look in a little more detail at the types of expenses covered by child support payments made from one ex-spouse to the other – and, maybe more importantly, those that are not.
If you’re concerned about child support coverage, submit a free case evaluation or give us a call at 402.509.7033.
What are extraordinary medical costs and how do they affect child support?
Nebraska has a set of guidelines for basic child support required to feed, house, clothe and educate a child. These are recurring, everyday costs involved in a child’s upbringing.
Extraordinary medical expenses are those incurred for illness, hospital visits, or other costly medical procedures such as dental care that all children need from time to time.
These expenses are treated separately by the child support system in Nebraska and generally involve further payments by the noncustodial parent.
Under the Nebraska Child Support Guidelines, the cost of the health insurance premium for any minor children is factored into the monthly child support payment, however, any out of pocket costs for medical careis shared in addition to the basic child support amount.
How are third-party expenses calculated in the child support obligation?
When calculating child support in Nebraska, Child Support Enforcement (CSE) follows a formula that considers the number of children, their ages, the income of each of the parents and the amount of time each parent cares for the children.
Are childcare expenses included in child support?
The short answer is ‘no’. Childcare costs in Nebraska can be significant. They are incurred due to parents being employed, studying, or otherwise unavailable to provide full-time care and supervision for young children.
The costs of childcare are considered as independent from the basic support obligation when calculating child support in Nebraska and parties will pay a prescribed percentage share of any child care costs as determined by their respective income shares.
More information about childcare expenses and the tax consequences for payors and recipients of child support can be found here.
Is college education covered by child support in Nebraska?
Child support ends at the age of emancipation, which is 19 in Nebraska.
This means that there are no specific provisions by the state of Nebraska for college education to be covered by child support.
However, that does not preclude the parents of the child from voluntarily agreeing to cover these expenses..
Need help with child support expenses in Nebraska?
If you run into problems with calculating child support, are unsure what you need to cover in your agreement, or feel that your arrangement is unfair, our experienced child support attorneys can help.
Contact us at Nebraska Legal Group for a free case evaluation.