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The obligation to pay child support attaches to all parents, married, divorced, and never married. If you are in a cohabitation relationship that includes children, you and your partner are legally obligated to provide the necessaries for the child's well being, both while the relationship is intact and after it dissolves. If the relationship does end, legal guidelines in each state help establish the amount of child support that must be paid by the noncustodial parent. The guidelines vary from state to state, but they are all generally based on the parents' incomes and expenses and the needs of the children. Often, the guidelines calculate the child support amount as a percentage of the paying parent's income that increases with the number of children being supported. In some instances, the amount can deviate from the guidelines, if there are very good reasons for the deviation.

Judges will often review a financial statement completed by each parent that lists all sources and amounts of income and expense before issuing a child support order. The following form is intended to be a guide to help you and your attorney gather the necessary financial information.

	INFORMATION ABOUT YOU	INFORMATION ABOUT OTHER PARENT
Gross Monthly Income
	Source/Amount	Source/Amount
	_________/$________	_________/$________
	_________/$________	_________/$________
	_________/$________	_________/$________
TOTAL:	$________________	$________________
Deductions from Gross Income
State Income Tax	$____________________	$____________________
Federal Income Tax	$____________________	$____________________
Social Security	$____________________	$____________________
Self-employment Tax	$____________________	$____________________
Health Insurance	$____________________	$____________________
Union Dues	$____________________	$____________________
Pension/Retirement	$____________________	$____________________
Mandatory?	Yes ____ No ____	Yes ____ No ____
Support Orders	$____________________	$____________________
Other	$____________________	$____________________
TOTAL DEDUCTIONS:	$_______________	$_______________
NET MONTHLY INCOME: (Gross Income minus Total Deductions)
	$_______________	$_______________
Monthly Expenses
Rent or Mortgage	$_______________	$_______________
Utilities:
Telephone	$_______________	$_______________
Gas	$_______________	$_______________
Electricity	$_______________	$_______________
Water & Sewer	$_______________	$_______________
Garbage Collection	$_______________	$_______________
Cable Television	$_______________	$_______________
Cellular Phone	$_______________	$_______________
Internet Service	$_______________	$_______________
Property Taxes	$_______________	$_______________
Insurance:
Medical	$_______________	$_______________
Dental	$_______________	$_______________
Life	$_______________	$_______________
Disability	$_______________	$_______________
Long-term Care	$_______________	$_______________
Homeowners/Renters	$_______________	$_______________
Auto(s)	$_______________	$_______________
Recreational Vehicle	$_______________	$_______________
Debt Payments:
Vehicle #1	$_______________	$_______________
Vehicle #2	$_______________	$_______________
Home Equity Loan	$_______________	$_______________
Student Loan	$_______________	$_______________
Other Loans	$_______________	$_______________
Credit Card #1	$_______________	$_______________
Credit Card #2	$_______________	$_______________
Credit Card #3	$_______________	$_______________
Educational Expenses:
For Self	$_______________	$_______________
For Children	$_______________	$_______________
Day Care:
For Children	$_______________	$_______________
For Parent(s)	$_______________	$_______________
Transportation Expenses:
Gasoline	$_______________	$_______________
Parking/Commuting	$_______________	$_______________
Vehicle Maintenance	$_______________	$_______________
Licenses	$_______________	$_______________
Food:
Groceries	$_______________	$_______________
Take-out Food	$_______________	$_______________
Restaurants	$_______________	$_______________
School Lunches	$_______________	$_______________
Clothing:
For Self	$_______________	$_______________
For Children	$_______________	$_______________
Repair and Cleaning	$_______________	$_______________
Household Expenses:
Cleaning Supplies	$_______________	$_______________
Cleaning Service	$_______________	$_______________
Yard Maintenance	$_______________	$_______________
Home Maintenance	$_______________	$_______________
Home Security	$_______________	$_______________
Home Improvements	$_______________	$_______________
Home Furnishings	$_______________	$_______________
Appliances	$_______________	$_______________
Uninsured Health-care Costs:
Medical (Self)	$_______________	$_______________
Medical (Children)	$_______________	$_______________
Dental (Self)	$_______________	$_______________
Dental (Children)	$_______________	$_______________
Prescriptions (Self)	$_______________	$_______________
Prescrips. (Children)	$_______________	$_______________
Non-prescrip. (Self)	$_______________	$_______________
Non-prescrip. (Child.)	$_______________	$_______________
Personal Expenses:
Grooming	$_______________	$_______________
Entertainment	$_______________	$_______________
Travel	$_______________	$_______________
Gifts	$_______________	$_______________
Hobbies	$_______________	$_______________
Babysitting	$_______________	$_______________
Pet-care Costs	$_______________	$_______________
Donations	$_______________	$_______________
Other Expenses	$________________	$_______________
	$_______________	$_______________
	$_______________	$_______________
	$_______________	$_______________
TOTAL EXPENSES:	$_______________	$_______________