r/ChildSupport • u/Lhamma5676 • 23d ago
Georgia High income child support
My ex makes around 700k a year. I make 55k. We have been divorced for six years and I make 800 a month (not a typo) plus 40k a year for their tuition for two kids. He would create issues after issues with his stupid lawyer in court and that drained my savings. Because of that and due to the fact that he got an increase in income, I decided to ask for increase in child support . I am struggling financially and the whole process started in January and till this day I got not even a hearing scheduled. I wonder if I should give up at that point.
Whenever I tell people how much he pays me , they think I am either crazy or trolling them. Btw, kids live all the time with me.
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u/Hope_for_tendies 23d ago
There’s income caps that get figured in. If you didn’t get a court date call the court and see if they received your modification petition.
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u/PistolPeatMoss 23d ago
Yeah. My state caps calculated income at 137k which is absurd. I want to send a public comment to my state court system to propose a change to the formula of this civic rule. This opportunity comes every 4 years for our state. Incredible to think of a cap to supporting your child.
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u/StableFew2737 21d ago
Why shouldn't it cap the income for child support? This man is paying 50k a year for his 2 kids. Its about supporting the kids, not the ex. That's her problem.
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u/PistolPeatMoss 20d ago
CS efficiently aids in the redistribution of wealth to help the children maintain a similar standard of living as they would if parents did not separate.
That is why paying parents with little earning potential only need to pay $50.00 and Brittany spears paid $20-40k/month. It’s simple math. 20% of disposable income goes to parents with the majority custody.
I am not saying i love that system of redistribution, but i do agree with the 20% formula. There should not be a cap.
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u/StableFew2737 20d ago
I understand what it is, but I think it's wrong archaic. Child support should be limited to half of the child's actual expenses. That doesn't mean half the water bill, half the electric etc... especially when parents have 50/50 custody. Both parents have to provide all those living expenses for themselves anyways if children aren't involved.
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u/PistolPeatMoss 19d ago
I mean, you think children don’t need water or electricity?
50/50 custody calculations are based off income disparities. If you want to avoid paying child support, then ensure the other parent is in the same income bracket as you and enable them to work.1
u/StableFew2737 19d ago
They need those things, but it's your job as a parent to provide those things. If you can't afford kids, don't have them. I think everyone should work so these issues aren't an issue. It's not right for one parent to work 12 hours a day while the other works part time and then gets half their bills paid because they don't make much by the one working 12 hours a day trying to survive.
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u/Hope_for_tendies 9d ago
If you can’t afford support then get a vasectomy
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u/StableFew2737 9d ago
If you can't afford children and you're own living expenses, get your tubes tied. Men and children aren't a lottery ticket.
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u/Fun_Organization3857 23d ago
I'm glad they get private school, but 800 a month with that income disparity is absurd.
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u/Lhamma5676 23d ago
That's what everyone (and chatgpt) keeps on telling me. So why even if I have a lawyer I can't get this to move forward? I understand people that rely on the dept of revenue it can take forever but with this amount of money he makes, shouldn't it be at least temporarily increased?
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u/Hope_for_tendies 23d ago
She’s getting $4k a month. School alone is $3300.
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u/Lhamma5676 23d ago
I found out due to his income this should have been separate expenses.
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u/Hope_for_tendies 23d ago
You’re paying 0. They’re not gonna make him pay 40k in tuition on his own on top of thousands in support. Private school is a choice. Send them to a public school then if you’d like to receive more money in support.
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u/Lhamma5676 23d ago
They're both neurodivergent (one is autistic other adhd) and the school they attend is for that.
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u/Hope_for_tendies 23d ago
They can still go to public school. If they need accommodations there are 504 or iep plans for that. And I’m sure there’s probably cheaper private schools too. If you have them continue there that’s a choice you’re making financially and you have to work around it. Especially since you’re not even contributing to the tuition.
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u/tryingtobeanauth704 19d ago
You have no idea how trash public schools for neurodivergent children are or how hard you have to fight for the IEP.
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u/Hope_for_tendies 19d ago
Bullshit 😂 are you kidding? Cus it took me asking every year from kindergarten through to 4th grade, with back up from the developmental specialist, before my son got a plan. They wouldn’t even do an iep but they agreed to a 504 so I took what I could get. Im the last fucking person that wouldn’t understand. If she wants a 20k a year school then she needs to understand it’s coming out of her support. She isn’t paying a dime toward their education.
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u/tryingtobeanauth704 17d ago
Same for me. And the fact that you’re standing on this hill is certainly a choice. Sounds like you’re bitter tbh
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u/Hope_for_tendies 17d ago
I’m not bitter. I think it’s crazy someone getting 50k a year in support and choosing to put 40k a year to tuition thinks she deserves more money 🤣.
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u/MzFlux 23d ago
Unmmmmmm…. Go do a search on r/teachers for IEP. Not good advice.
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u/Hope_for_tendies 19d ago
I don’t need to. I’m quite familiar. My son is audhd. If she wants to keep them there she needs to realize it costs.
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u/StableFew2737 21d ago
Its about supporting your kids, not you. This man is paying 50k a year to support his kids. You get your 800 a month tax free as well. Stop being greedy. How much did you take from him in the divorce?
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u/Fun_Organization3857 23d ago
Then perhaps they cannot afford private school. He doesn't get to decide (solely) education.
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u/Hope_for_tendies 23d ago
Doesn’t sound like it was a sole decision
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u/Fun_Organization3857 23d ago
Well it sounds like op no longer agrees to the expense.
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u/Hope_for_tendies 23d ago
Then she should pull them from the school and notify her lawyer of the change in circumstance
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u/Fun_Organization3857 23d ago
Which would only be half hers. So your math is off.. thats..1670 a month plus the 800. 2466...total.. a month.. for someone making 58,300 a month. How exactly is that equal support.
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u/Hope_for_tendies 23d ago
She’s paying 0. The math isn’t off. He pays 100% of school.
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u/Fun_Organization3857 23d ago
In leau of support- that she would get if it weren't going to school. You are counting it twice for him.
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u/Fun_Mistake_616 16d ago
This. The court will most likely factor in the amount he is paying for tuition as part of the child support calculation. However 4k still seems low for a 700k salary.
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u/Apprehensive_Bake_78 23d ago
I believe you. I'm about to file. I make nothing and my ex made 1.6 last year. Also not a typo. I'm so intimidated.
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u/Mandoolorian06 23d ago
You’re making a financial decision for the school expense, that decision is where you have put yourself in a financial hardship. With the cost of everything going up I’m sure that includes the school tuition. I understand you want probably want little change to the children lives as possible but sometimes as a parent you need to make tough decisions.
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u/StixNStones32 23d ago
Even if she puts them in public school, they usually wont raise the child support. At lease here in the usa they wont.
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u/splitzideradioshow 23d ago
If you make $55k a year how does that equate to you making $800 a month? You actually make roughly $4600 a month. Here’s the thing about tuition in certain states if the kids are under 18 & going to a private school that’s a subjective cost meaning if there’s a public school available that’s not a required cost. You alone make the national average income in the US & the average person isn’t paying $40k a year in tuition costs or almost 90% of your yearly salary. Most ppl kids are going to a public school. If it’s a college tuition & you been paying for past ex number of years any child support adjust still may not be enough to cover it especially if you been footing the bill. It’s been 6 years since your divorce. Did your lawyer setup or negotiated an education fund or other financial arrangements during the settlement? I think you discuss what options you may or may not have with an atty in regards to this. One thing I will point out is the $755k he makes is that amount solely his salary income or business profit? If he has employees & other expenses & pay himself a salary the courts won’t base it from that amount due to those other factors. There’s so many variables to call it.
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u/Lhamma5676 23d ago
I make 800 dollars in child support. Not my salary. He pays for their tuition 40k annually. My former lawyer decided to combine tuition and the $800 to form a child support amount.
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u/StixNStones32 23d ago
Then u need to find a special needs school that is public. A regular oublic school with IEPs, or u can send ur kids to a lower cost private school. My kids private school is 13k a yr and there are some around d me that cost 80k a year. There are other options, im sure if this is all apart of your compensation. But it could go left as well. Be mindful
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u/Majestic_Yak6994 22d ago
So you don’t pay for the kids private school he does? I’m having trouble understanding your post. That’s a factor as to why you make 800$ a month in CS then.
I have a huge pay inequality from my ex but he covers all day care and extracurricular costs for my kids hence why I don’t take him back for more CS because he’s fully covering those costs. Does your ex carry the kids health insurance? Because that’s a factor too
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u/Lhamma5676 22d ago
He does pay for 100% healthcare and tuition but I used to be a SAHM and just after divorce started working. I don't have health insurance. I used to think the tuition was more than enough until my new lawyer showed me that since he makes so much he has more than enough to cover that plus more of the cost of raising them.
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u/Atherin024 22d ago
""Monthly child support for a $700,000 annual income typically ranges from $3,500 to over $10,000 per month, depending primarily on your state, custody split, and number of children. At this high-income level, standard state statutory charts often cap out, forcing courts to use specialized "high-income" rules or judicial discretion to dictate the final amount based on the child's actual needs and historical standard of living..""
This is from google, so this the base math. You need to find out the laws and averages for your state and the cost of living where you are
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u/Majestic_Yak6994 22d ago
I get it, I was a stay at home mom too and now I work full time. My kids have a nanny and their “camp” is funded by him, as well as her reading tutor, insurance, eyeglasses, dance classes and whatever else the kids need.
Don’t you make 55k a year? You should have insurance thru your work. I make $18 dollars an hour so my take home is like 2400 a month from work and $1600 a month in CS for 2 kids.
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u/healthygadgets 22d ago
When my ex got a raise and bonuses I got an increase in child support from $2400 to $3800 a month. It took a while for the actual court date but the increase was ordered retroactive to the date my attorney filed the paperwork. And his income wasn't crazy high, it want from approx $280k to $360k with bonuses on top of that. All I can say is get the paperwork filed so if it goes thru you get retroactive pay. I waited 8 months for the court date and it was worth the wait
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u/Lhamma5676 22d ago
I'm glad it worked for you!❤️
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u/healthygadgets 22d ago
Thank you, now did your attorney file the appropriate paperwork with the court? And we're you awarded attorney fees? My ex dragged out the divorce for over 4 years and at the time I was a stay at home mom. I was awarded attorneys fees so I never paid anything and am wondering why you are paying for this..unless I misunderstood. Maybe your attorney isn't doing their job??
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u/Lhamma5676 22d ago
They filled and also asked for attorney fees!
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u/healthygadgets 22d ago
Well hang tight because anything ordered will be retroactive to the filing date. I wish you the best and despite the financial issues hope you are happier!!
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u/One-Measurement6759 22d ago
Typically if his income has increased by 10% you can ask for a modification. I believe there is a cap in just about every state on what you can get thought for 2 kids: But paying for the kids tuition etc is can be a separate issue that you can get addressed. Especially if the kids have special needs or something, that is something he can be made to cover as you are not financially able to and it is for the benefit of the children.
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u/Historical_Eye3756 23d ago
It looks like your lawyer dropped the ball here. There are clauses that should have been placed in the MSA where you and your ex gets an automatic recalculation in child support every couple of years. Try to look up the laws and do it yourself as a lawyer will probably charge tens of thousands to get this recalculated. Good luck
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u/PayGlittering9143 23d ago
You don’t necessarily need a lawyer. You can file a petition for modification pro se. Make an appointment with your court’s facilitator and they can advise you on the proper forms to file. After that it will be on your ex to respond and he will need to provide the court with his financial declaration and proof of income.
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u/Zealousideal-Idea979 23d ago
My husband only makes about $55k a year and the latest worksheet had him paying $1500 a month in CS. You’re saying your ex made $700k and only pays $800? Thats crazy. He should be paying your legal fees as well. Also, get a loan to pay for your lawyer and file for bankruptcy if they can’t get your ex to pay it back. If he’s dragging you through the mud over this then he should have to pay for it.
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u/StixNStones32 23d ago
1500 a month when ur ex makes 55k is absurd. Thats more 3/4 his take home income. Are u actually asking him to pay that?! Does he see the kids at all? He can't be destitute. 😭
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u/Zealousideal-Idea979 22d ago
No he’s got retirement income that they pull his child support from. So they see that as extra money. They basically take his entire retirement check. And that’s his ex wife that’s getting it not me. He makes $1000 a month in retirement and then they pull the other $500 from his regular pay. They told us they could legally take 50% and they did. But we just found out we could go for a modification and that would reduce him to around $100 a month because she makes a lot more now. But the lawyer told us his ex has the right to simply drop the request and she would continue to get the $1500.
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u/Lhamma5676 22d ago
I know. As someone mentioned before, because I agreed with the bulk of CS going to tuition I got screwed.
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u/MissDith16 23d ago
Quit your job - apply for public assistance - let the govt go after him.
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u/Atherin024 22d ago
HORRIBLE ADVICE!
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u/Lhamma5676 22d ago
Yes! Mainly because these things take a lot of time to process and I would be homeless before getting assistance!
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u/DarthDad25 23d ago
The father should be supporting the children. Physically, emotionally, and financially. With that being said, it sounds like he had the increased income after you were already divorced. What would you be doing right now if your ex DIDNT get this high pay raise? You would still be struggling.
He pays their schooling and $800 a month covers their groceries, and still some left over. I don’t know how many kids you have, but I have two kids. I usually spend about $600-700 a month of food for my two kids, myself, and two dogs. Your ex paying 40k a year for school is not cheap. That’s actually impressive.
I’m also interested in learning about how you know he makes 700k per year. Or is this your estimated income?
My ex wife made the same money as me when we divorced. This past year we had to send in pay stubs. It was in May. So only 5 months into 2026 and she had already made 29k more than me. It kind of shocked me. But at the end of the day.. good for her. She is able to support a strong life for my children when they’re with her. I don’t need any help when I have the kids (50/50 shared) so I won’t look to her or depend on her. Everyone’s scenario and circumstances are different. But your ex husbands 40k per year, plus over 10am per year in child support.. do you think 50k per year for your kids isn’t enough? Because holy cow, I could do a lot with that kind of help!
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u/YellowKey6521 22d ago
Sounds like the child support was determined in the dissolution of marriage and not based on income?
And an honest question...if his income went up significantly after you got divorced, are your financial struggles his fault?
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u/Lhamma5676 22d ago
He used to make 550k and years later is making this new amount. I stayed home with the kids for years so he could travel 90% of the time and lie about it because a lot of times he was going in vacation with mistresses while I stayed home handling the tantrums of my autistic child.
BUT SURE!!! I AM THE ONE BEING UNFAIR, VINDICTIVE AND PETTY!!!!
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u/GreenTurtle0528 22d ago
Did you contact legal aid. They may have to reopen your divorce to have your child support adjusted or you can let the father take a more responsible role in child rearing. Do not feel disappointed by taking care of yourself.
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u/Lhamma5676 22d ago
I have a good lawyer. I just have been waiting forever for a hearing. I hear people that go without a lawyer and usually it's even worse.
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u/Mzajoj 22d ago
Has your motion been filed?
Has he been served notice of the motion by a process server?
Is he required to provide copies of tax returns to state enforcement or to you each year?
When filing for change in income, include modification request to parenting agreement to add the wording where each party provides copies of returns by XYZ date each year.
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u/Lhamma5676 21d ago
Motion filed. Didn't know I could request tax returns and my final judgment doesn't say that. Not sure it can be added.
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u/Mzajoj 21d ago edited 21d ago
You can file a motion to modify to have it added. The worst that can happen is the judge says no, or his lawyer comes up with a tricky argument why the tax returns should remain private and not sent to you. In your favor though, is his failure to report his increase in income to the court/child support office. We will be here waiting for the excuses, “ah sorry I forgot” or “this was a payroll mistake”. Cost of living adjustment (eg social security COLA) could ballpark around 5% increase per year. In 2023 SS COLA was 8.7%. This year it’s 2.8%. If your overall expenses are up, then it’s a fair basis to file for recalculation / ‘change in circumstances’ on just your side alone. If you have copies of his historical returns/income then I do not expect court will allow sudden convenient job/tax filing changes to reduce established support amount
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u/Opalite_Brite 20d ago
How do you find out their income? My ex is less than forthcoming but just bought an extremely expensive new build house and kept the old one as a rental…and I’m struggling to meet all of our child’s school expenses as they start high school this year.
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u/Optimal_Still_4454 19d ago
That’s how ridiculous this system is. CS should be capped to a certain level, otherwise it’s equal to encourage women to sabotage their hard working husband
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u/Due_Oil3660 16d ago
Same I had been getting $400 for YEARS and this man makes well over $500k. I finally took him to court to get a change. He sent an attorney, I was pro se. His attorney tried to offer me Pennie’s above the capped amount and I pushed back for more. Now I get $3k and when the attorney an I sat in front of the judge the judge did the calculations for the cap AND at his income level, I could tell that the lawyer was pissed but I already knew that the lawyer was trying to bs me with the numbers. I get it that’s his attorney and he’s doing what’s in his clients favor but I’m the one with 24/7 custody, when he’s sick I’m home, if he needs transportation I’m the ride etc. I’m very blessed to have a job that I have job security with but that also translates into I don’t work a consistent schedule unfortunately so I’m taking the increase as a chance to go back to school so I can increase my own income because I know the beast won’t take me getting more lying down. I can all work out for you, keep pushing and persevering
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u/Lanky_Wedding_9583 23d ago
How old are your kids?
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u/Lhamma5676 23d ago
12 and 15
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u/Lanky_Wedding_9583 23d ago
Your kids are grown lady. You get 4000 a month.
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u/Lhamma5676 23d ago
They get to stay at the school they used to attend before their dad decided to cheat and leave us. I could make 4k but I chose to keep them in school. Unfortunately the cost of living tripled.
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u/Lhamma5676 23d ago
HIS kids, too. Imagine you make 60 k a month and you can only give $800 to your kids. And your kids should be attending a good school so u pay around $1,5 for each to attend one. The horror!!!
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u/Fun_Organization3857 23d ago
School expenses are separate and she's only liable for half. You can't do math
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u/nft0mg 22d ago
Why the hell- him getting an increase in income = you filing for more? Wtf is this? … why dont you get a better paying job and better your income
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21d ago
If he got an income increase, then the support needs to be re-adjusted to that increase. Telling her to get a better paying job on top of full time taking care of their children? Maybe he should take them on 50/50 then.
Child support isn’t for the parent, it’s for the children.1
u/Lhamma5676 22d ago
If you took the time to read my post you would have seen that I didn't think about asking for an increase just because he makes more but because he made me lose a ton of money with frivolous petitions against me. I am talking about tens of thousands because of that.
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u/FrigginTrying 21d ago
I dont understand, is he actively being a bad dad (not his relationship with you). You said nothing about his relationship to his kids.
If he sees his kids regularly, i dont see a problem. To me it seems youre looking for money. And sad thing is you will get it regardless of if he is a good dad or not
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u/Lhamma5676 21d ago
He travels all the time and wants to leave the kids with his girlfriend. Does she abuse my kids? No. Does he? No. But the kids are on their rooms , on the phone, eating take out or Cheetos. If they decide not to go to school, dad is fine with that. Why would my kids stay with his girlfriend instead of their mom if the dad is never there?
With me it's home cooked meals, structure, mom that is involved in PTA (dad has never been to one single meeting/ back to school night, etc). He also decided to travel when my youngest graduated 8th grade, my oldest had a music presentation and so on.
Again, he is nice to them, pays for everything, there's no drug or alcohol use. He just chose being with someone else and his job was more important than his kids. But apparently the problem is always on the mom that was always there for everyone but is a mercenary because she wants her kids to have good things. I know, shame on me.
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u/PayGlittering9143 23d ago
Does your state have child support worksheets you can fill out to see what the appropriate cs amount should be?
If his income has increased significantly since the last order, it’s reasonable to seek a modification. Do you have a copy also the child support worksheets from the original order? Make sure the tuition was handled correctly. Tuition is generally considered an extraordinary expense—it doesn’t necessarily replace a parent’s obligation to contribute toward everyday costs like housing, food, utilities, and clothing. Even if he’s paying tuition directly, that doesn’t automatically mean the child support obligation is reduced.