When a couple gets divorced, both parents are responsible for the financial support of the children.

Question: Who decides how much child support is paid after a divorce?

 Answer: The Supreme Court has established guidelines to determine the amount of child support. Some of the things that the court looks at are the needs of the child, the financial resources and needs of the parent who has custody, the standard of living the child would have enjoyed had the marriage not been dissolved, the physical and emotional condition of the child, the child’s educational needs and the financial resources and needs of the parent who don’t have custody (ARS §25-320)

You can go to http://www.supreme.state.az.us/childsup.  OR

http://www.familysupportcenter.com/supportservices/support.html   to find out more about calculating the amount of child support.

Question: For how long is child support paid after a divorce?

Answer: Child support is paid until a child reaches the age of 18 AND graduates from high school or a certified high school equivalency program. If a child turns 18 while still in school, support will continue until graduation OR until the child reaches the age of 19. (ARS §25-320 C ) If a child is mentally or physically disabled, the court may also order support to continue past the age of 18 (ARS §25-320 B).