Opinion ID: 1598067
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 10

Heading: Whether the chancellor abused his discretion in awarding child support amounting to 38% of the wife's adjusted gross income.

Text: ¶ 19. Miss.Code Ann. § 43-19-101(2000) gives only a guideline regarding the amount of child support payments. This statute does not take into account any specific or individual needs; the chancellor must determine this after being informed of the particular facts and needs of the parties involved. Gillespie v. Gillespie, 594 So.2d 620 (Miss.1992); Thurman v. Thurman, 559 So.2d 1014 (Miss.1990). Child support amounting to greater than fourteen percent of the payer's income has been upheld on numerous occasions. Grant v. Grant, 765 So.2d 1263 (Miss. 2000); Smith v. Smith, 614 So.2d 394 (Miss.1993); McEachern v. McEachern, 605 So.2d 809 (Miss.1992). In Dufour v. Dufour, 631 So.2d 192 (Miss.1994), a child support award in excess of the statutory guidelines was reversed only because the chancellor failed to make a specific finding as to the father's income and the final decree did not specify the basis for the child support award. ¶ 20. The chancellor in the present case detailed his reasons for ordering Gigi to pay child support in his opinion which was included as an exhibit to the judgment of divorce. It was noted in the opinion that Gigi's monthly adjusted gross income was $1,056.84 and that in light of the other assets available to her ($302,415.50/ marital & $127,530.25/non-marital), her child support payments would be more than the statutory guideline of fourteen percent. Bob earns more money than Gigi and he also expects to bear the bulk of their son's educational expenses. However, since neither party can afford to pay for all of their son's education and they are apparently unwilling to send him to college without a car or to make him work, each should bear some of the expense incurred in sending their son to college. ¶ 21. It is also important to remember that Gigi's child support payments of $250 per month end upon her son's 21st birthday. Paul Bresnahan was 18 in 1999, at the time of trial. Paying this amount of child support for 3 years should not deplete or otherwise jeopardize Gigi's assets. Additionally, the chancellor said that if she can get cheaper insurance for her son through her job, it is fine for her to do so. This Court agrees with the chancellor's ruling as regards the amount of child support Gigi is responsible for paying.