What Factors Go Into Determining Child Support?

In cases where parents are divorced or not married and living separately, most parents are familiar with the idea of child support (i.e., one parent paying money to the other parent for the benefit of the children.) However, calculating child support and what goes into the calculation is a mystery to many.

In Tennessee, in order to determine the correct amount of child support, one uses a Child Support Worksheet ("CSW"). The CSW is determined by plugging specific numbers into a child support calculator.

The child support calculator is available online and can be found on the website of many court clerks. Primary items considered in determining the child support amount are inserted at the correct place in the CSW to come up with the child support payment, are as follows: