It’s important to note that parents have the ability to determine how much they’ll pay in child support. During a divorce, you can sit down with your spouse and talk about how much you think the kids will need, which of you will pay, and how much. This can be binding as long as both of you agree.
Things get more complicated when parents are at odds. When that happens, a San Diego County family law judge will step in and determine what’s appropriate. This isn’t something that’s left entirely to the judge’s discretion. California has specific guidelines for calculating child support obligations.