50/50 custody but wife wants lots of child support money, is that normal?

Custody
#1

We have 50/50 custody and have only sofar signed a parentingplan and seperation papers. My spouse says I am legally bound to pay her a certain amount of money to help out with expenses.I have been paying a thousand a month because I could afford itand it helped the kids. she works as well, we have about the same living expenses and same with kids when they stay with the respective parent.

now i lost my job and money is tight, i can’t pay her unless i can’t pay my bills end up on the street and have no place for my kids togo. she is threatning to take me to court if I don’t get her money, state law child support schedule states 2 kid custodian only pays 473, but that’s for 100% custody. how does it work when you half 50/50, anybody have any thoughts for me.

trying to be a good dad but feel am being taken for a ride at the expense of the kids. Can’t afford lawyer at this point that why I throw it there for some advice. thank you, loving dad of 2 boys. Thanks for the input sofar. Some more points, we have 50/50 but can’t split a week in half so mom has them 4 nights and I three, when she needs to go somewhere I always take them.

We live in washington state. I make about 2500 a month, or was that is and she makes the same. We live on an island so right now finding any kind of work is difficult, been aplying for everything at this point. I keep my expenses to a minumum, it all goes to the kids. It will get better. keeping the faith. Any more input is very much appriciated.

#2

Let me get this straight.You earned $2500 a month, and she earns about the same. Up to now, you’ve been giving her $1000 a month. You have the kids 3 nights a week. You said the expenses are about the same so I assume she’s not paying off a lot of joint debt or anything.Why does she need 70% of the joint income to care for the kids 57% of the time??Several points: First, 50/50 doesn’t mean you have to split every week. It means you split every year any way you want–alternating weeks is most common, but some do weekends plus all summer, others split the week like you but alternate Mondays.Second, if your income has been historically even, and you have nominal 50/50 physical custody, then absolutely there should be no child support in either direction.Third, if you are unemployed for a while, then you could eventually ask for her to pay you child support. It is a simple matter of who is earning the money and who has the children.

#3

Just wanted to respond to d10 question even though it was awhile ago. I have a client that is a similar situation. You say you have 50/50 but then you say you don’t. I’m sure when you need help your ex helps you as well and also helps when you go on vacation. It also appears to me that your expenses are not the same. The bottom line the courts don’t care if your not working or not. You still have to pay child support no matter what. You should be happy that your wages are not garnished and your license hasn’t been revoked. In WA state both parents are responsible for child support. Mike you are incorrect that if the parents have the kids both of the time then there is no child support. Both parents pay the child support and it is only based on income not time with the children. There is a WA state schedule and worksheet that goes off of combined income and a formula. even if there is a 50/50 but its usually 60/40 the parent that left the household will pay the child support.

#4

Your state formula will determine support. In my state (Missouri), 50/50 wasn’t even an option on the chart - I think 60/40 was the most even split that the state could imagine. Thankfully, ex and I agreed to split expenses for our two kids evenly without child support, because as the higher earner I would have had to pay him support otherwise - and would have had to sell the family home. I confess that if he’d held out and demanded I pay child support that I might have reconsidered the 50/50 arrangement and fought for 60/40 - because paying him felt very unfair, when I was already dying inside over losing my kids half the time. Thank goodness it didn’t come to that. It was incredibly frustrating to learn that the 50/50 approach was treated as novel and unusual, and that few resources were out there for parents who remained equally committed to spending time with their kids.

#5

Everybody say they have a 50/50 agreement. My separation agreement states this also. My divorce will be final in april or May but my lawyer informed me beings there is only 365 days in a year that is impossible whoever the kids stay with on the last day of the year is considered to have more time and they are considered the custodial parent and the one who is required to pay support at the state’s minimum $719 for 4 kids which my ex and I both thinks rediculious . Did you happen to run into this issue? Any suggestions?