The Nebraska, Child Support Guidelines changed January 1, 2020. Previously, under Nebraska statutes the custodial parent would be responsible for the first $480 of out of pocket medical expenses for each child. Any additional costs would then be allocated between the custodial and non-custodial parent as determined by the court. Typically, this allocation is based on the parents’ relative incomes.
The changed Guidelines now provide that the non-custodial’s payment obligations will kick in after the first $250 of out of pocket costs (per child) paid by the custodial parent. Thus, the non-custodial parent will begin contributing earlier for out-of-pocket expenses. So, for example, if your child goes to the emergency room and the non-reimbursed portion of the bill comes to $1,000, $750 of that amount will now be split between the parents based on the proportion specified in the parties’ Decree. Under the old Guidelines, the custodial parent would have paid $480, and only the remaining $520 would be proportionally split. This change can have a significant impact to both the custodial and non-custodial parent’s expected medical payments, especially if the parties’ have multiple children.
If you are looking for an attorney to assist you in a child support case in the greater Omaha area, contact our office to set up a consultation, (402) 827-7000.