Child Support

Child Support in Arizona - Q & A

At Bishop & Martin Law Office, we help parents answer questions that they have about child support in Arizona. To learn about how child support is dealt with in Arizona, contact an experienced child support lawyer at one of our offices in Phoenix or Tempe.

How much will I receive in child support?

During your initial consultation with the firm, we will provide you with an estimate regarding what we believe you are entitled to receive for child support.

Whether you receive child support depends upon who has more parenting time with the child and how much parenting time the other party has. Child support is based upon Arizona Statutes and written guidelines issued by the Supreme Court of Arizona. The amount depends on each parent’s gross income, childcare costs, medical and dental insurance for the children, day care or school costs, the children’s ages, whether the children have special needs, and other factors described in the Arizona Child Support Guidelines. The Supreme Court Child Support web page provides a child support calculator and additional general information.

How is child support calculated in Arizona?

There are a number of factors used by the court to determine what amount of child support to award in a divorce. Some of the factors the court considers include:

• The parent who has primary residential custody
• The income of each parent
• Costs associated with day care and education
• Health and dental insurance costs
• The age of a child
• Any special needs of a child

Is a Child Support Deviation Appropriate?

The Court has the discretion to award more or less than what the child support calculation provides. Such is based upon the parties' standards of living and other statutory factors.

Who processes child support payments?

Support payments are received, recorded and processed by the Support Payment Clearinghouse:

Division of Child Support Enforcement (DCSE)
Support Payment Clearinghouse
P.O. Box 52107
Phoenix, AZ 85072-2107
(602) 506-3762

For more information about child support calculations in Arizona, contact an attorney at the Bishop & Martin Law Office for an initial consultation.