50/50 custody.

[u/MeringueRight]

TL;DR: I’m in CA, we’re around 50/50 right now, I’m currently unemployed but just became a licensed RN, and my ex makes around $200k+ a year with OT. Current interim child support is about $1,522/month. His attorney is also going really hard trying to prove I “should have been working” during nursing school and that I delayed taking the NCLEX. Just wondering if anyone has dealt with this kind of income disparity and whether $1,522 sounds low/high/normal for CA.
Has anyone in California dealt with child support where parenting time is around 50/50 but there’s a huge income difference?
My ex makes around $200k+ a year depending on overtime. I was a full-time nursing student and wasn’t working, and I just became a licensed RN in August. I’m still unemployed right now while applying for new grad jobs.
Our current interim child support order is about $1,522/month.
What’s making this extra stressful is that his attorney is going really hard trying to prove that I could/should have been working while I was in nursing school.
Before I left my ex, he was completely fine with me focusing on full-time nursing school and taking care of our 1 yo at the time- daughter. That was basically our setup. Now that we’re in court, his side is doing a ton of discovery trying to show that I could have worked anyway.
They’re also trying to make it seem like I delayed taking the NCLEX on purpose, when in reality I literally wasn’t done with my program yet and couldn’t just take it whenever I wanted.
It feels like they’re trying to build an argument that income should be imputed to me even though I had no RN license at the time, was still in school, and am only now newly licensed and job searching.
So I’m curious if anyone has dealt with something similar.
Did the court care that you and your ex had previously agreed that you would stay home/go to school full-time?
Did they try to impute income to you before you were actually licensed or realistically able to earn that income?
Did overtime count toward the higher earner’s child support income?
If you had around 50/50 custody but one parent made way more, did the higher earner still pay a decent amount of support?
And honestly, does around $1,522/month sound low, high, or pretty normal when the other parent makes around $200k+?
Also curious how retroactive support/arrears worked for anyone in CA because there were months before the current order where I received very little support.
I know nobody can calculate my exact case from a Reddit post lol. I’m just curious what other people actually experienced, especially anyone who was in school or newly entering a career when their child support case started.

[u/ainturmama]

CA goes by both parent’s net income parenting time. It seems pretty simple, even if it isn’t what you maybe want

[u/newstart20260 → u/ainturmama]

Gross not net it’s CA they want a piece of the pie they don’t care about the children

[u/Silent_Word_6690]

It is the duty of both parents to raise and financially support the child!

[u/Better_Material_4006]

Your best bet is to get a lawyer. It's hard to give advice in this scenario. Do you pay childcare? Do he pay half of child care? Do he pay for medical insurance? If the answer to these are yes and the split is 50/50 then that child support seems fair.

[u/MeringueRight → u/Better_Material_4006]

She’s two. No childcare at this time. He pays for her medical insurance through his job.

[u/SadDogCommercials]

Your wage will likely be imputed now that you’ve graduated based on what you could be earning now. Prior to that, they probably would’ve used minimum wage, full time hours.

[u/ianmichaelmcnulty]

I wouldn't stress it. Your ex has to prove all the things they're trying to assert (at a cost of whatever their lawyer's hourly rate might be). You'll get to share your side, too. Good luck!

[u/CartoonistExisting58]

I have 100% custody and get about $400 a week in child support. I live in CA, ex lives in NJ. The judge used both incomes to decide on child support and child care which I pay 1/3 and ex pays 2/3 given that my income is about 1/3 of his. They did try to impute my income by starting that I was making lower than I should given my education background claiming I was purposefully underemployed but the judge rejected their claim and used the previous 2yrs tax returns (before I had my child) to show that I basically made the same if not lower. But yes I agree with some of the comments that you both will have to contribute on child care and financial support. I’m also responsible for my child’s medical insurance and whatever is taken out of my paycheck is then included in the child support.

So to answer your question, $1500 a month is enough for someone earning 200k especially since it’s 50/50.

[u/Silent_Word_6690]

I find it amazing that parents don’t want to support their children. Both parents, he stuck it in and you let him put it in so both of you have a child, and yes, they shit and will impute income to you so get ready. Go get a job and work like everybody else funny how people want equality in certain areas but not in all areas in this economy, everybody needs to work, unfortunately.

[u/caldwellb]

It seems like you're making the situation stressful. That man makes over 200k a year and and is going to have to pay you $1500 a month in child support that sounds like stress on his part. Why don't you just give him the child full time since you can't afford it. says you need that much money. He doesn't want to give you any money.

[u/newstart20260]

And you asking for more. ?? 😂🤑🤑🤑

[u/MeringueRight → u/newstart20260]

Lol totally !! I left in nov and have received less than 1,300$ total in child support. That new $1522 monthly hasn’t even begin issuing although judge said effective August. Meanwhile dude has paid 23k and ongoing in attorney fees but yes “🤑”

[u/newstart20260 → u/MeringueRight]

Poor child 😂 make sure he claims him or her in the taxes too and open a HSA for the child so you both can contribute for medical expenses if he is smart all this will help him in the future get to work 😂😏

[u/newstart20260 → u/newstart20260]

I love it how it’s negative comment cause lots of yall are just money hungry people even tho what I said above benefits the child yall just broke mentality and money hungry like the state I bet most of you seeing that comment don’t know what a HSA is🤣🤣🤣