Opinion ID: 883751
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 17

Heading: issue iv variance in child support

Text: Daniel's final argument concerns whether the District Court should have awarded him a variance in child support for his expenses associated with the joint bankruptcy obligation and the court-ordered counseling. Daniel contends that he should receive a variance of $100.00 per month for the joint bankruptcy payments and a further variance for the cost of the counseling. Daniel argues that the District Court determined that his expenses were $1,347.27 per month, which costs did not include any child support payments or the cost of repairing his vehicle which was not in operating condition. Daniel's unemployment benefits were about to expire, and he was still unemployed at the time of dissolution. His monthly annuity is $1,200.00, and even with his unemployment benefits, he was finding it hard to meet his monthly expenses. Daniel contends that the result of the court order to pay child support of $539.00 per month is that he has to pay almost half of his annuity income to child support. Moreover, he still cannot afford to pay for the counseling and supervised visitation and is, in effect, prevented from seeing his child in a meaningful way. Rule 46.30.1543(h), ARM, permits a variance in child support payments based upon the overall financial condition of a parent. In the instant case, Daniel has expenses of $1,347.27.00 per month, which does not include the cost of repair to his truck, child support payments or the cost of counseling and supervised visitation. It does include a $200.00 monthly payment for the joint bankruptcy obligation. Daniel receives a $1,200.00 per month annuity and was receiving $103.00 per month in unemployment compensation. However, the unemployment payments were about to expire at the time of the dissolution. Clearly, Daniel has a difficult time meeting his expenses without even considering child support and counseling payments. It is unrealistic to expect him to meet his own expenses, make payments on the joint bankruptcy obligation and make child support payments of $539.00 and pay for counseling in order to exercise his visitation. Considering subsection (h), of Rule 46.30.1543, ARM, a variance in child support payments is in order. At the time of the dissolution, Daniel's overall financial condition was poor. This situation needs to be carefully considered in determining an appropriate child support payment amount for Daniel. We reverse the monthly child support payments set at $539.00 and remand for a recalculation considering a variance from the child support obligation previously calculated.