AM I paying too much in Child Support? Is it unfair?


I am in my mid-30s and have been divorce from my wife for 8 years. I engender about $52K per year working about 51 hours per week. My ex was making in the region of $70K last year working as an RN. She is dropping down to part time at 24 hours per week and claims she will only engineer $45. My child support is going from about $460 to $700 because of this. We worked out the agreement privately as we always have, but she strong armed me this second time and implied I am a bad dad for paying less. I have my kids 138 days of the year (8 days shy of the 146 rule within pa) so I don't get a "credit" for time spent with me. I just don't mull over its fair that it completely ignores my expenses when I have to clear more for them to live with me as well (F/S/S night minus 1 Sunday per month). Furthermore, our kids are 13 and 14 so it isn't close to she is taking time off to "watch them" which I could understand. She have two other children that are 3 and 9 and her new husband will be making about $65K per year. I am not a deadbeat dad, but $700 is unbearable for me. After taxes, I clear roughly $3K per month, but my rent and child support alone bring me down to half that. then carpayment (249), insurance (80), Student loans (110), food ($300), electricity (120) etc and it really adds up. I a moment ago feel like I am being punished by our system while my ex works 24 hours per week. I really want to buy a house, but I purely can't afford it. sigh. Just venting I guess. PS: I end up also paying for activity fees for the kids, clothes for them over my house... etc. She make $43/hour. I would, but we have always worked together on these things. We had a mediate divorce. There is an unofficial child support calculator that we have used in the past. It in reality comes up with 760, but I talked her down to $700 per month. Am I being too stingy? It only doesn't feel right. It is literally a swing of $16000 per year. What I mean by that is that I would find about 16-17 if I she only had them 138 days of the year. I wouldn't want to do that for the kids sake as they own a half brother and sister over there that they should know better. Furthermore, I have the better traffic in terms of time with the kids as I they are rotten of school on the weekends. This all started because she want to put them through private school for 11K per year after financial aid (for one) and I refuse as we have a top notch school contained by our district with a 98% graduation rate and 80% post education rate. Sometimes I remember that I only hold 4 years left with the one and 6 with the other beforehand this financial nightmare ends.... on the other hand I don't want my kids to grow up :(
Best Answer:
You tolerate her sucker punch you on this one. Here is the Pennsylvania child support calculator, plug in the numbers. If they are different and in your favor, get an attorney. Obviously, you two are beyond the point of working things out one on one. Seven hundred a month is too much money when she is making a choice not to work. She, too is responsible for kindly for your kids. Get an attorney or you are going to be struggling unnecessarily.
It simply makes sense if you have them less time than what you own now. I would press for more time with your children for her to get the extra money, since she is adjectives her hours voluntarily. It is her choice to work less hours, but you should not bear the burden of her bad choices by an increase surrounded by child support.
Put it in the child support calculator for wherever you live and digit out what it is supposed to be. If it's from the calculator you guys have always used, then I guess you hold to stick by it. If you don't want to, see a lawyer and ask whether her choice in dropping her working hours, when she doesn't have to, is plenty to modify the child support. Get the lawyer to try and figure it out if you're really unhappy.
That really sucks, and your ex is a cow. sorry!
Get an attorney and try to get a new support order.