You are here

Child support step parents income count in any strange cases?

LauraBz324's picture

I am a stepmom to 2 young boys. I've been married 5 years. I've never had an issue with the ex trying to mess with my income regarding child support. My brothers wife (also a stepmom to one) recently contacted me saying his ex has been threatening to take my brother to court and modify(increase) child support but since they are married they can't calculate her income but "household income" so it will be raised. They hired a lawyer but still don't seem confident. I mysef, have not run into this issue but has anyone else? Does it have anything to do with filing taxes together? It may be based on state since we are located in a different state, I've just never heard of step parents being included in household income to calculate child support. Any one know please comment...

NoWireCoatHangarsEVER's picture

That's true. We have some posters in Africa and they just posted about a shocking case where in their country a step dad was forced to pay child support after a divorce for his step child but here in the US step parents income counts for nothing at all.

Monchichi's picture

If you remarry here or cohabit by agreement a "step parents" income is calculated in too. Not for how much to increase maintenance by but how the NCP's shared living expenses means he/ she has more disposable income for the child FYI.

We are required to provide our bank statements and salary advices.

ldvilen's picture

Best thing to do, is keep your accounts seperated as much as possible, to avoid any sort of confusion in the court system over joint accounts and such. My DH and I had seperate checking accounts and savings accounts to keep our funds, again, seperated as much as possible and completely seperated, really. I can't confirm this story, because it was one of those stories that makes the rounds, but in the back of my mind, I do remember once hearing about a woman whose income was significantly higher than her DHs, and somehow they were able to raise her DHs child support due to this, and this was in California. Again, don't know the full situation and the woman's income was significantly higher. I would think that would have to be very rare, tho. In my state, they just automatically take a percentage of the man's income; however, they do ask about savings, etc. Which, again, unless you have it seperated out, it may be difficult to prove to a court system that that is not really 100% your husbands.

GRITSinAL's picture

I have been on a few boards here and there for a few years, and I have yet to see a documented case in the US of a judge forcing a step parent to disclose income. I would do like ladyface and black out my own income because there is no way in hell that a dime of mine is going to BM or to SS in cash form. (however at times when SS seems truly in need of something like shoes, I have been guilty of being the actual item, very infrequently.)

I will say this: If this were me, and since DH and I do not nor will we ever have bio kids, I would flat out divorce him and stay in a life-long relationship with him before one dime of mine (more that what already funnels to her) would go to BM and SS. I honestly would.