Talking out their butt when it comes to child support dependent kids in NE

[Omaha Steve]

There is a big effort to cut taxes in the legislature this years because our tax costs are higher than neighboring states. But this article talks about lowering child support because our cost of living is lower.

In NE if the parent that is supposed to pay support is in college, regardless of the math in the story the parent only has to pay $75 a month period. How the hell does that help a struggeling parent when the other parent can afford to pay more?

OS


Payment reductions proposed for Nebraska child support guidelines: http://www.omaha.com/news/metro/payment-reductions-proposed-for-nebraska-child-support-guidelines/article_cb018905-352f-5aa8-8df8-70597affa9a8.html

POSTED: MONDAY, JANUARY 12, 2015 1:00 AM
By Joe Duggan / World-Herald Bureau

LINCOLN — Many noncustodial parents would see a reduction in their monthly financial obligations under proposed updates to Nebraska’s child support guidelines.

The across-the-board recommendations of a special state commission are intended to reflect Nebraska’s lower cost of living as compared with surrounding states. Depending upon a parent’s income, the proposed changes could reduce base monthly child support payments by as much as $200.

The recommendations also could allow judges to further reduce payments for parents willing to evenly split time with their children.

The Nebraska Supreme Court must decide whether to adopt the recommendations once it formally receives the commission’s report. In the past, the judges have sought public comment before altering guidelines that affect up to 100,000 households in the state.

FULL story at link.

Updating child support

A report by a special commission has recommended the first changes to Nebraska’s child support guidelines in four years. Key recommendations of the report:

» Update the child support table used by judges to calculate payments to include more current economic data, including Nebraska’s lower cost of living.

» Allow health care expenses parents pay for themselves to be deducted from their income before calculating child support. Current guidelines account only for a child’s health care expenses.

» Allow judges to more evenly split child support costs when parents agree to more evenly divide time with their children.

» Require day care and preschool expenses to be included as part of the child support order. Currently, such expenses can’t be enforced as easily in separate court orders.