Gross Income Means Everything in Tennessee Child Support

Gross income under the Tennessee Child Support Guidelines is a simple, but powerful concept which is often misunderstood.  Some Tennessee divorce lawyers only think about the tax return. Reviewing a tax return is only the first step.  There are lots of additional categories of income included in gross income for child support in Tennessee not taxed on tax returns.  One example may be dividend income from a municipal bond.  Another may be distributions from a Roth IRA.  Another may be certain forms of disability income.  It just depends on the circumstances.

Definitions in Tennessee Child Support Guidelines by Memphis Family Lawyer Miles Mason

Definitions in Tennessee Child Support Guidelines by Memphis Family Lawyer Miles Mason

As with any legal dispute, definitions can have a huge impact on interpretations of contested provisions.  For example, see “Days,” below.  What a “Day” means impacts both child support calculations and relocation cases when determining how many “days” a parent enjoys residential time.

If you find yourself scratching your head about the application of a particular part of the Guidelines to your particular situation, remember to revisit the definitions.  The answer may be there.

Tennessee Child Support Internet Resources from Memphis Divorce Lawyers Miles Mason Family Law Group, PLC

Tennessee Child Support Internet Resources from Memphis Divorce Lawyers Miles Mason Family Law Group, PLC

Below are links to important Tennessee child support resources for additional learning:

Tennessee Child Support Guidelines – Guidelines download (courtesy of MemphisDivorce.com).

MemphisDivorce.com Child Support Page – Summarizes child support reference and information + link to Answers to Child Support Frequently Asked Questions.

Why a Tennessee Child Support Blog?

Why create a Tennessee Child Support Blog?  I practice family law, sure.  But, before I became a lawyer, I was a CPA.  I find all technical financial aspects of family law interesting.  For example, there are several differences between gross income as it appears on tax returns and gross income for child support.  Probably not a lot of family lawyers get excited about that sort of stuff, but I do.  Whether a parent earns over a half million dollars a year as a high-level corporate executive or is a fireman and cuts lawns as a sideline, the definition of gross income impacts every child support case.