Situation: separated since last August, when I moved out. Ex and our 15 year old son remain in the house. During the balance of 2009 I directly paid the mortgage on marital home, as well as all taxes, insurances and other expenses. Now, in 2010, we cannot file a joint return, so I cannot get the deductions for mortgage interest or property taxes. We need to set child support, I need to pay it to her, and she needs to pay the mortgage. Problem is, she will not tell me what her new income is for 2010, and refuses to cooperate in any way. To date, by mutual decision we have not had any contact with the court system. Our mutual plan for good reason was to wait until now, and go directly into mediation and negotiate an agreement. That is looking less likely. But in the meantime, what should I do? Just use her 2009 income as a proxy, and use the CS calculator on your site? The whole reason for waiting was she was busy studying for the Certified Financial Planner exam, which she then sat for in November. That should have had a significant impact on her income. I do not know if it did or not, as she refuses to say. Time is going by, and I do not want to open myself up to trouble. Please advise.
If you are still trying to work something out you can certainly estimate her income.
If you end up in court she will have to turn over documentation of the income.
To determine support, can unemployment be considered?
Yes, it is considered as it is a source of income.
Thank you for your fast response.