The links below correspond to screens in the software.
Background and Child
Please be sure to click on the triangles, to open up this section.
This section is where you specify whether a party is plaintiff or defendant, petitioner or respondent.
The party’s birth date is used in calculating the pension value, and in estimating the party’s retirement date for cash flow projections.
The date married is used in the defined-benefit pension calculation, to calculate the marital portion (that is, the coverture fraction).
The state where the party lives is used to estimate state tax in that state. It can be different than the state of filing of the action.
The tax filing status in the current year is used in the child support guideline calculation, in states where taxes are a part of the calculation.
The tax filing status in future years is used for cash flow projections.
If the parties are filing jointly, we need to allocate tax to each party, for budget purposes, and sometimes also for child support purposes. We allocate the joint tax proportional to gross income. The number that is shown here is the portion of total gross income earned by the parties shown. It determines the allocation of joint tax between the parties, if the parties are married filing jointly. You may override this number.
Please click the “more info” link to enter address, occupation, and other information.
If the client is living in New York, Connecticut, or New Jersey, and working in one of the other two states in this tri-state area, click the “more info” link to specify information about state taxes.
You add a child by clicking the button to open the Children's section, and then click the Add button to add a child.
Click the button again to add additional children.
The specification of custody relates only to guideline calculation purposes. This is not legal custody.
There will be an opportunity to enter more information about the children on the child support data entry screen.
The Tax Exemption selection is relevant even during years when the exemption amount is zero. This is because the tax exemption is used in determining who can claim the Child Tax Credit.
The Child of this Relationship box is checked by default. Clear this box if this is a child that is living with the parties but who is not a child of the current relationship.
For child support purposes, this will remove the child from consideration for child support.
Many states give a credit in the child support calculation for support for a child of another relationship. Clearing this box automatically enters this child for consideration for that credit.