Kansas Supreme Court adopts new child support guidelines

TOPEKA – Child support payments for separated or divorced parents in Kansas are expected to increase up to 3.5 percent next year under new guidelines adopted by the state Supreme Court.

The court announced Monday that it adopted updates recommended by a 14-member committee that spent a year reviewing child support guidelines that took effect in 2012. The new guidelines take effect in January and will be used by district court judges to set parents’ payments.

Federal law requires states to update their guidelines every four years. The new guidelines won’t affect existing court orders unless a parent seeks to have his or her obligations modified.

Child support is paid by noncustodial parents after a divorce or separation, or when parents never married and live separately.

This story was originally published November 3, 2015 at 3:44 PM with the headline "Kansas Supreme Court adopts new child support guidelines."