Q: Why does the mother of my kids get an in home credit for her other child who is not mine?
Just went through lengthy battle for visitation with my ex. We were never married and only together for 3 years. We have two daughters together. She has another child from a previous relationship. She's receiving an in home credit for that child which causes me to pay more for child support. That child has a father who doesn't pay child support and I know she doesn't want him to because she's afraid he might get some parenting time if she takes him to court. Why am I being penalized for a child that isn't mine?
A: I don't think you should think of it as a "penalty." The child support guidelines, in theory, try to treat all children equally, so that each child gets some support. Both parents have a duty to support. In your case, the mother has 3 children to support and you have two. The authors of the guidelines simply include an adjustment in the formula to account for the fact that she is supporting ( and support means more than just paying money) more children than you.
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