Child support and alimony
Child support and alimony may be decided by agreement, informally, in mediation, or through lawyers. If no agreement, the court will decide these issues, using the formulas for child support and alimony spelled out in NH law. Both these laws describe circumstances when a judge may order something other than the formula numbers.
Child support in NH is based on a formula called the Guidelines. Both parents' incomes and certain out-of-pocket expenses are considered. For more information, including an on-line calculator and how to have support paid through the state, visit this page.
Alimony is awarded when one spouse needs support to maintain the marital lifestyle and the other spouse can afford to pay. For both parties, the law expects that standard of living may have to decrease because of the costs of maintaining two households.
If these two tests are met, alimony is the lessor of what the lower income spouse needs and the amount produced by the alimony formula. The formula is 23% of the differences in their incomes, after specified deductions. Alimony may be for up to half the length of the marriage. I have designed a form to calculate the alimony formula. Download it here.
Mediation is a good place to work out an agreement on child support or alimony or both.
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Honey Hastings
Mediator
P.O. Box 33
Temple, NH 03084
Tel: 603 654-5000