What is Child Support?
Jun 01, 2022 ● By Amanda Engel, The Duncan Law Firm, LLP
By: Amanda Engel, The Duncan Law Firm, LLP
Both parents have an obligation to provide financial support for their child(ren). Child support is a form of support payment that the parents can agree upon or ordered by the Court or a child support referee.
There are several ways you can receive child support. For example, you can receive child support if:
You are the parent of a minor child or have court-ordered custody of a minor child;
The minor child lives in your household;
The child is financially dependent on you; and/or
The Court has ordered child support to be paid to you.
The amount each parent is to contribute is set according to support guidelines established under South Dakota law. The amount of child support a parent is obligated to pay is based on a formula. However, some deviations and abatements may apply to your particular situation.
South Dakota's child support laws do not include extraordinary medical costs, extracurricular expenses, or college costs. These costs may be additions to the basic South Dakota child support order.
Child support can be complicated. An attorney can assist you in determining how much child support you are entitled to or the proper amount you should be paying.