Do I Pay Utah Child Support when We Share 50/50 Custody?

When parents share 50/50 custody, they assume there won’t be any child support.

This makes sense because you figure that if you share everything equally, there’s no need to pay child support.

Only problem is that’s not how it works in real life.

Child support doesn’t belong to a parent. Instead it belongs to the child.

This means neither parent can negotiate away child support, and everyone’s bound by Utah’s child support guidelines.

How Utah Child Support Works at 50/50 Custody

Child support is straightforward.

The more parent-time one parent has in relation to the other (i.e., the farther you are from 50/50 custody), the more child support will be paid.

On the flip side, the closer you get to 50/50 custody, the less child support will be paid.

Once you get to 50/50 custody, child support usually becomes pretty minimal, but there will be something, unless both parents make the same amount.

Here’s an example of what I’m mean: Husband and Wife have 1 child. Husband makes $6,000 gross per month. Wife makes $3500 gross per month. If they shared 50/50 custody, Husband would pay $141 per month in child support.

(Note: let’s assume Wife had primary custody, instead of 50/50 custody. If that were the case, Husband would pay $631 per month in child support. Pretty substantial difference.)

So, just because you share 50/50 custody doesn’t mean you won’t pay child support. You very likely will, unless incomes are the same.

Call Brown Family Law

If you find yourself facing a Utah divorce, please call 801.685.9999 for a legal in-person consultation, or use our online scheduling tool.

Protect Your Money And Your Family

We remove fear associated with divorce, protect your money & maximize time with your kids!

We're here to help. Let's determine your best options.

Call Us 24//7 at 801-685-9999 to Speak with a Live Representative

Utah Divorce FAQs
Top 100 Divorce Blog
What Clients Are Saying…
BrownLaw icon
Excellent
Brown Family Law
4.8
Based on 928 reviews
I couldn’t have done it without Nathaniel Garrabrandt and the Brown Family Law truly the best experience and people to work with thank you!!
Brown Family Law is likely the most outstanding Family Law office in Utah. They care deeply about each client, responds quickly to every client question and concerns. If anyone is in a situation of divorce and/or child custody, I highly recommend this office to assist you with your rights. They stand firmly behind their clients.
Response from the owner:Thank you, Craig.
I can’t say enough good things about Clay Randle and Katrina Redd. They were both incredibly professional, responsive, and knowledgeable throughout my case. Their experience and advice were invaluable, and I truly appreciated their support every step of the way.
Daniel was patient, efficient, professional, and kind. Brown Family Law was easy to work with and very competent. Highly recommend.
Muchas gracias, professionales. Me ayudaron con mi caso, gracias.
Leilani Whitmer was my attorney for mediation day at the provo 4th district court on May 9th and absolutely knocked it out of the park. She made the process so smooth and easy I'd recommend her for any family law issue you could possibly fathom.
Clay Randle is absolutely amazing, well educated, knowledgeable lawyer. He’s approached, always makes sure you’re on the top of the situation and very helpful. I’ve had a pleasure working with him and I recommend him as your top notch attorney.
Brown Family Law has been wonderful to work with! Extremely knowledgeable and professional. Clay went the extra effort in everything he did for us. Couldn’t be more pleased!! I highly recommend their services.
Marco is beyond insightful!
Great support, Russell and Connor were amazing and got my case dismissed in only 2 months. Great communication with weekly calls. Easy to work with and were very conscious on not overspending my budget. Great team.
Response from the owner:Daniel, thank you for the kind words, and happy Russell and Connor did well for you.
yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7

Categories