GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

1985 SESSION

 

 

CHAPTER 1016

SENATE BILL 924

 

AN ACT TO ACHIEVE GREATER CONSISTENCY AND EQUITY IN THE SETTING OF CHILD SUPPORT OBLIGATION AMOUNTS THROUGH THE USE OF GUIDELINES.

 

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

 

Section 1.  G.S. 50-13.4 is amended by inserting a new subsection (c1) to read:

"(c1)    The Conference of Chief District Judges shall prescribe uniform statewide advisory guidelines for the computation of child support obligations of each parent as provided in Chapter 50 or elsewhere in the General Statutes.

Such advisory guidelines may provide for variation of the amount of support recommended based on one or more of the following:

(1)       The special needs of the child, including physical and emotional health needs, educational needs, day- care costs, or needs related to the child's age.

(2)       Any shared physical custody arrangements or extended or unusual visitation arrangements.

(3)       A party's other support obligations to a current or former household, including the payment of alimony.

(4)       A party's extremely low or extremely high income, such that application of the guidelines produces an amount that is clearly too high in relation to the party's own needs or the child's needs.

(5)       A party's intentional suppression or reduction of income, hidden income, income that should be imputed to a party, or a party's substantial assets.

(6)       Any support that a party is providing or will be providing other than by periodic money payments, such as lump sum payments, possession of a residence, payment of a mortgage, payment of medical expenses, or provision of health insurance coverage.

(7)       A party's own special needs, such as unusual medical or other necessary expenses.

(8)       Any other factor the court finds to be just and proper.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, the court shall hear evidence and from the evidence find the facts relating to the reasonable needs of the child for support and the relative ability of each parent to pay support."

Sec. 2.  This act shall become effective October 1, 1987.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified, this the 15th day of July, 1986.