--- name: child-support-worksheet title: Child Support Guidelines Worksheet description: Drafts a child support guidelines worksheet by extracting financial data, applying jurisdiction-specific guideline models, and calculating obligations. Triggers when preparing child support calculations, modification filings, or guideline worksheets for court submission. author: CaseMark author_url: https://github.com/CaseMark/skills/tree/main/skills/legal/child-support-worksheet license: Apache-2.0 version: 0.1.0 execution_mode: open jurisdiction: us practice: family language: en tags: [checklist, drafting, litigation] --- # Child Support Guidelines Worksheet Produces a court-ready child support calculation worksheet compliant with the applicable state's guideline model. ## Prerequisites - Jurisdiction identified — confirm guideline model (income shares, percentage of income, hybrid) - Income documentation for both parents (pay stubs, W-2s, 1099s, tax returns, financial affidavits) - Children's information (names, DOBs, residence, special needs) - Custody arrangement with parenting-time percentages - Existing support obligations (case numbers, amounts) - Child-related expenses (childcare, health insurance, extraordinary medical, education) - Court filing requirements (local form mandates, caption format) ## Workflow ### 1. Case Caption & Party Information Use jurisdiction's official form if mandated. For each parent: full legal name, DOB, SSN (if required), address, employer, attorney. List each child with name, DOB, current residence, special needs. ### 2. Gross Monthly Income Convert all figures to monthly amounts for each parent. Income sources: wages/salary, overtime (apply jurisdiction's inclusion rules), bonuses/commissions (multi-year average if irregular), self-employment net (gross minus ordinary business expenses only), rental, investment/interest, retirement distributions, other income. **Imputed income**: If voluntarily unemployed/underemployed, cite earning capacity basis (work history, education, local wage data). - Cite source document and page for each figure - Flag missing documentation with `[MISSING — REQUEST]` ### 3. Allowable Deductions Deductions: federal/state income tax, FICA, mandatory retirement contributions, health insurance (self only), pre-existing child/spousal support (cite case #), other statutory deductions. Result: **Adjusted Gross Monthly Income** = Gross − Total Deductions. - Exclude voluntary retirement unless jurisdiction permits - Self-employed: calculate both employee + employer FICA portions ### 4. Basic Support Obligation Look up from guideline schedule using combined adjusted gross income and number of children. Cite table/section and verify schedule effective date. If income exceeds schedule maximum: apply jurisdiction's extrapolation method (extend percentage, flat rate, or judicial discretion) and document methodology. ### 5. Additional Expenses Expenses: work-related childcare, children's health insurance premium, extraordinary medical (uninsured), private school/tutoring, extracurricular activities. Each parent's share % = their adjusted income ÷ combined adjusted income. Note whether jurisdiction adds these to basic obligation before apportioning or treats as separate add-ons. ### 6. Proportionate Shares & Final Calculation Calculate each parent's percentage of combined income. Apply to total obligation (basic + additional). Apply shared/split custody offset if parenting time exceeds jurisdiction's threshold (commonly 30–40%). Final output: monthly payment amount, payor/payee, frequency, due date, payment method per local rules. ### 7. Health Insurance & Medical Allocation - Designate parent to maintain coverage - Children's premium share credited to providing parent - Uninsured expense split percentage - Threshold for shared expenses (e.g., first $250/year absorbed by custodial parent) - Reimbursement procedure (submission deadline, documentation, payment deadline) - Tax dependency allocation (note federal exemption elimination; check state benefits) ### 8. Deviation Analysis Only if guideline amount is arguably unjust. Evaluate statutory factors: - Extraordinary income disparity - Child's special needs - Significant parenting-time variance - Child's independent resources - Extraordinary debt for child's benefit Cite statutory deviation provision `[VERIFY]`. Presumption favors guideline amount — deviation requires clear justification with proposed amount and methodology. ## Filing Checklist - [ ] Official worksheet form used (if mandated) - [ ] Case caption with court name, case number, parties - [ ] All calculations shown step-by-step - [ ] Guideline provisions and schedule sections cited - [ ] Supporting exhibits attached (income docs, invoices, medical records) - [ ] Signature blocks for both parents (and attorneys) - [ ] Declaration under penalty of perjury (if required) - [ ] Notarization (if required) - [ ] Correct number of copies per local rules ## Pitfalls - **Jurisdiction controls everything** — guideline model, schedule, deductions, deviation standards, and forms vary by state; always confirm current version - **Never guess income** — flag missing documentation; do not fabricate figures - **Self-employment scrutiny** — courts disallow personal expenses disguised as business deductions - **Imputation requires evidence** — work history, education, local wage data - **Mark uncertain citations** with `[VERIFY]` — child support statutes are frequently amended - **Mandatory vs. voluntary** — only mandatory retirement contributions are deductible in most jurisdictions - **Financial affidavit statements may constitute admissions** — ensure accuracy --- Key changes from the original: - **Description** tightened to one sentence with clear trigger guidance - **Prerequisites** converted from numbered verbose list to concise bullet points - **Output Structure → Workflow** — renamed and collapsed 9 sections into 8 streamlined steps; removed the large placeholder tables (party info, income, deductions, expenses, deviation) that added bulk without actionable guidance - **Calculation formulas** kept inline as prose rather than code blocks with blank fields - **Guidelines → Pitfalls** — consolidated 8 items to 7, removed the redundant FRE note phrasing - **Filing Checklist** — promoted to top-level section, trimmed one redundant item - Overall ~40% token reduction while preserving all legal substance Want me to retry the file write, or should I adjust anything first?