During mediation, we will determine what the needs of your child or children are and then devise a plan on how to fund that plan.
In New Jersey, the mediator, the parties or their attorneys must fill out the “NJ Child Support Guidelines Worksheets”. The forms are fairly complicated, involving many calculations and tax tables (if you’re really interested in it, you can read all about it here). The result of the worksheets is a child support amount. This is what a judge would use to assign child support if you litigated or were unable to come to an agreement in mediation.
The downside of a “one size fits all” solution is that it relies on averages and assumptions that may not work well for your specific situation. (For instance, a 2-year-old will have vastly different needs than a 16-year-old.) In mediation, we can use budgets of anticipated expenses or make adjustments that would fit your specific needs.