I’m a stay-at-home mom in Hawaii and I’m going through a custody case. My ex is asking for me to pay child support, and I need to fill out the Income and Expense Statement. Do I need to include my spouse’s income or just my own? I’m confused about what to put. Thanks for any help!
I had the same question when I went through my custody case. From what I know, you only include your own income. Your spouse’s income isn’t counted because they’re not liable for child support. So just put your personal income on the form!
@Wynn
Got it, thanks for the clarification! So my spouse’s income doesn’t affect how much I might have to pay in child support, right?
Justice said:
@Wynn
Got it, thanks for the clarification! So my spouse’s income doesn’t affect how much I might have to pay in child support, right?
Exactly! It’s your income they’re looking at, but they might consider your spouse’s income to see if you’re getting help with expenses. But it doesn’t directly affect the child support itself.
I think you only put your income, even if you file joint taxes with your spouse. The court will use just your income to determine support. Your spouse’s income would only be relevant to show your overall financial situation.
@Aspen
That makes sense. It’s just so confusing because we file taxes together. Thanks for clearing that up!
I agree with the others. The court focuses on your income. They’ll look at your spouse’s income only if it helps show your overall financial picture but not for the support amount itself.
Ollie said:
I agree with the others. The court focuses on your income. They’ll look at your spouse’s income only if it helps show your overall financial picture but not for the support amount itself.
Good to know! It’s so easy to get overwhelmed with all the forms and rules. Thanks for helping me make sense of it!
I’ve gone through this in Hawaii too, and yes, they only use your income for the child support calculation. Your spouse’s income is mostly just for understanding your total household finances.
Jamie said:
I’ve gone through this in Hawaii too, and yes, they only use your income for the child support calculation. Your spouse’s income is mostly just for understanding your total household finances.
That’s helpful, thanks! I feel a bit better about filling out the forms now.
If you file joint taxes, the court doesn’t use your spouse’s income for child support, but it might come up if they look at overall household expenses. It’s not about how much they make, but how they contribute to household expenses. Don’t worry about it too much!
@Barrett
Thanks for the reassurance! It’s good to know that my spouse’s income won’t affect the actual child support number.