Having just finished one of these, I searched our database and
noted that we had written very little about it.
In my case earlier this week, my adversary and I had been
negotiating a child support order. After several rounds, we reached
a mutually acceptable conclusion. When I wrote to confirm our
"terms" I received a responsive email that the
child's father wanted to claim the child as a dependent on his
federal income tax returns "every other year." My
client would justly ask: What does that concession mean and
what is it worth?"
If you do your own income taxes at the federal level, you know
that on page 1 of the return you are asked to name your
"dependents" and on page 2 you can claim a deduction
reducing your taxable income by $4,000 for every eligible dependent
including yourself. So if Mr. and Mrs. Hubbard are living in the
same shoe and they have two minor children, they can take a total
of $16,000 in exemptions (i.e. deductions) from their
