Child’s Income may be Considered

The income of a child may be considered in child support calculations.  However, there is no bright line test or minimum income requirement that creates automatic application of a child’s income in the child support calculation. You should contact a divorce mediator at Divorce Help Center to evaluate your particular situation.  If a child’s income is steady or based upon a long term work history AND the income is used to offset the child’s living expenses, then a court has discretion to include the income in the child support calculation.  In the Davis case, the court included the income of an 18 year old child who had a long term work history (although one has to question that definition given his age), and who used the roughly $400 per month in earnings to pay for his individual discretionary expenses and college savings.  The trial court included this income in the calculation and the Court of Appeals said the analysis was within the court’s discretion.