§48-13-102. Right of children to share in parents’ level of living.
The Legislature recognizes that children have a right to share in their natural parents’ level of living. Expenditures in families are not made in accordance with subsistence level standards, but are made in proportion to household income, and as parental incomes increase or decrease, the actual dollar expenditures for children also increase or decrease correspondingly. In order to ensure that children properly share in their parents’ resources, regardless of family structure, these guidelines are structured so as to provide that after a consideration of respective parental incomes, child support will be related, to the extent practicable, to the standard of living that children would enjoy if they were living in a household with both parents present.
§48-13-103. Financial contributions of both parents to be considered.
The guidelines promulgated under the provisions of this article take into consideration the financial contributions of both parents. The Legislature recognizes that expenditures in households are made in aggregate form and that total family income is pooled to determine the level at which the family can live. These guidelines consider the financial contributions of both parents in relationship to total income, so as to establish and equitably apportion the child support obligation.
§48-13-201. Use of both parents’ income in determining child support.
A child support order is determined by dividing the total child support obligation between the parents in proportion to their income. Both parents’ adjusted gross income is used to determine the amount of child support.
