Child Support Guidelines went into effect on July 1, 1989. These guidelines establish an amount of child support as a percentage range of gross income of the noncustodial parent, based upon the number of children. The Court can deviate from the guidelines in allocating child support based on factors including the ages of the children, day care costs, education costs, amount of debt and obligations to another household. The Court cannot order parents to pay for college. However, parents may agree to pay child support beyond the age of 18 or to pay for college expenses.
Alimony is payment by one spouse to the other for the other's support and maintenance.
The court may grant alimony to either the husband or the wife. Alimony may be for a limited period of time or until the spouse receiving alimony dies or remarries. Alimony can be paid in one payment of money or property, or it may be paid over a period of time. One of the most difficult and complex areas of divorce is the division of marital property. Marital property is all property acquired during the marriage, except for that property received by gift from a third party or by inheritance.