Iowa Child Support
From LoveToKnow Divorce
Iowa child support laws outline the responsibility that a non-custodial parent has for his/her children.
Child Support
Iowa child support laws are based on the premise that both parents have a legal obligation to support minor children born as the result of their relationship. Therefore, a non-custodial parent must pay child support for a child until he/she graduates from high school or reaches the age of 19.
The amount of child support that is due is calculated based on the net income of both parents. However, stepparent incomes and public assistance payments are not used when determining child support amounts.
Child support payments should be submitted to the clerk of court or the collection services center of the Iowa Department of Human Services. Payments should never be sent directly to the custodial parent.
Child support and custody are considered two separate disputes under Iowa law. A non-custodial parent is not allowed to refuse payment if he/she has not received the court-ordered visitation. Likewise, the custodial parent can not block a scheduled visitation because he/she has not received the appropriate child support payment.
In Iowa, child support has no relationship to the payment of alimony.
Medical Support
According to Iowa law, the court can order a parent to provide medical support in addition to child support payments if she/he has access to a reasonably priced health insurance plan. Generally, a health insurance plan is considered to be affordable if it is provided as part of the parent’s employment benefits.
In the event of a divorce that involves a child with physical or mental disabilities who is dependent upon his/her parents for care, the court may order support payments to continue indefinitely.
Post-Secondary Education Support
Since it is now commonly accepted that education does not end after high school, Iowa child support laws allow the courts to order parents to pay certain post-secondary educational expenses for their children. The parent’s ability to pay, the age of the child, the child’s own financial resources, and the child’s abilities may all be considered when the courts decides to award this form of support.
Since the court does expect a child to make a financial contribution towards his/her own education, the amount of post-secondary support each parent is required to pay cannot exceed one-third of the total cost of education. Support payments for post-secondary education can be either paid to the child or the child’s college or university.
Iowa Child Support Enforcement
The state of Iowa takes child support enforcement very seriously. A parent who doesn’t not pay the legally required child support may have his/her wages withheld or driver’s license denied. In addition, the courts can apply federal income refunds or money from bank accounts in the parent’s name towards the payment of the child support order.
If you are a custodial parent who needs state assistance enforcing child support payments, call Child Support Specialized Customer Service at 1-888-229-9223. Help is available from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM Monday thru Friday.
Changing a Child Support Order
Iowa law allows parents to request a modification in a child support order if the financial situation of either parent has changed. Examples of situations when a change might be necessary include job loss or the birth of another child who will need support payments.
The Iowa Child Support Recovery Unit can assist parents in changing a child support order. However, this organization does not act as legal counsel for either parent. Therefore, you may also wish to hire an attorney to act on your behalf.
Additional Information
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