Who is obligated to pay child support?
When a couple gets divorced, both parents are responsible for the financial support of the children.

Who decides how much is paid?
The Supreme Court has established guidelines to determine the amount of child support. Some of the things that the court looks at is the needs of the child, the financial resources and needs of the custodial parent, the standard of living the child would have enjoyed had the marriage not been dissolved, the physical and emotional condition of the child, the child's educational needs and the financial resources and needs of the noncustodial parent (A.R.S. § 25-320) You can go to http://www.supreme.state.az.us/childsup . OR http://www.familysupportcenter.com/supportservices/support.html to find out more about calculating the amount of child support.

For how long is this support paid?
Child support is paid until a child reaches the age of 18 AND graduates from high school or a certified high school equivalency program. If a child turns 18 while still in school, support will continue until graduation OR until the child reaches the age of 19. (A.R.S. § 25-320(C)). If a child is mentally or physically disabled, the court may order support to continue past the age of majority. (A.R.S. § 25-320(B)).

What happens if the child support is not paid?
A person not paying child support may face these consequences:

• Suspension of your Driver's License- A.R.S. §§ 25-517,518
• Revoke or suspend Professional, Occupational or Recreational Licenses
• A.R.S. § 25-518 states boards that issue Professional, Occupational, or Recreational Licenses and/or Certificates will keep social security numbers on file so as to aid the Department of Economic Security in locating parents or to enforce child support orders.
• Mandatory wage withholding
• Intercept state income tax refund
• Liens against real and personal property
• Non payment reported to Consumer Credit Reporting