TOPEKA—Public comments on proposed changes to the guidelines judges use for determining how much child support parents pay are being accepted until October 24th, it was announced today.
The changes are being recommended by a Supreme Court-appointed committee that is charged with conducting a federally required review of the Child Support Guidelines at least once every four years. The guidelines have been in place in Kansas since 1984.
The proposed changes will be considered by the Supreme Court after the final changes are presented by the Child Support Guidelines Advisory Committee following the public comment period. Since the last formal review of the guidelines in 2008, the economic data shows that spending on younger children, ages 0 to 11 years, has increased more than spending on older children. Based on that data, the committee and economist reviewing the guidelines are recommending that the new child support tables reflect that increase.
Although most of the changes are technical in nature, some changes are significant, the magnitude of which varies depending on the parents' combined income, the age of the child, and the number of children in the family. The recommended changes and economist's report on which they are based are online at the Judicial Branch website at www.kscourts.org. Once parents determine their combined income, they can look in the schedules for their combined child support obligations. That amount is shared proportionately, based on their share of the combined income.
The proposed changes in the child support schedules are based on spending trends for such things as education, clothing, entertainment, transportation, housing, food, medical, and day care. Besides changes to the child support schedules to reflect the changes in spending, the Committee's recommendations include a proposal intended to recognize the needs of parents who share equal or nearly equal time and expenses for their children. The new rule would reduce the amount of child support the higher income parent pays when both parents are equally sharing time and expenses for the child.
Parents of children who are 12 to 17 years of age generally will see an increase between 2 and 4 percent. Parents of children who are 6 to 11 years old would see the largest increase. For example, parents who earn a combined monthly income of $3,500 currently share a child support obligation of $530, if they have one child who is 8 years old. If the committee's recommendations are adopted, their new shared child support obligation would be $588, an 11 percent increase.
Parents will not experience an automatic change in their child support obligations. Generally, the new schedule, if approved by the Supreme Court, will apply to new or modified orders. In Kansas, only a judge can modify a child support order. Child support orders should be reviewed every three years or anytime there is a significant change of circumstance, such as an increase or decrease greater than 10 percent in the earnings of one or both parents.
The Kansas Supreme Court is very interested in feedback from the public, judges and attorneys on these recommendations. The economist's report, the survey, a strikeout version of the Kansas Child Support Guidelines, and minutes of the committee meetings are available at www.kscourts.org. Completing the survey takes approximately 10 minutes. Using the web based survey is highly recommended. However, if unable or not interested in completing the online survey, letters may be submitted to: Kansas Child Support Guidelines, 301 SW 10th Ave, Topeka, KS 66612, or by email at kansascsg@kscourts.org.