October 29,2015
By Ned Holstein, MD, MS, Founder and Acting Executive Director, National Parents Organization
“Child Support Guidelines” refers to a formula that determines how much child support is required to be paid. Each state writes its own Guidelines. Typically, a state’s formula takes into account things such as how many children there are, how old they are, and the income of each parent. In a few states, it also takes into account how the parenting time is divided between the parents.
Under federal law, each state must review its Child Support Guidelines at least every four years. But it does not necessarily have to change the formula after reviewing it.
Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe has appointed a Review Panel to review the Virginia Guidelines. Christian Paasch, who chairs the National Parents Organization of Virginia, was among those appointed by Governor McAuliffe to the Review Panel. This means that National Parents Organization will have a voice in improving the formula, as we have in several other states such as Ohio and Massachusetts.
Meanwhile, National Parents Organization has been successful in gaining media attention to our ideas and activism. Shared parenting is promoted in a recent op-ed by Christian Paasch in the Richmond Times-Dispatch, and by Christopher Nelson in the Roanoke Times. In addition, Christian had a great radio interview on shared parenting and other family court issues.
The message of the family court reform movement is being heard more than ever before.