Travel Expenses for Long Distance Parenting in TN Child Support Law

Transportation Expenses for Long-Distance Parenting under Tennessee Child Support and Parenting Plan Law

Travel Expenses for Long Distance Parenting in Tennessee Child Support

If you travel to visit your children, you know how important travel logistics are.  What time is the exchange?  Where?  Gassing up is expensive.  Flying requires compliance with the unaccompanied minor policy.  And God forbid if someone is running late – how long are you required to wait on the other parent?  It’s all stressful.

Negotiating travel expenses (costs of transporting the children for visitation) seems to be one of those items parents wait until the last minute to think about.  But it can be very important and can be a large percentage of your monthly child support obligation.  Parents should know that negotiating travel expenses is very important.  Be armed with as much information as possible, especially with estimated costs of travel such as gasoline and typical airline ticket costs.

Tennessee Child Support Goes Up if Less Than 68 Days Per Year Parenting Time

Tennessee Child Support Goes Up if Less Than 68 Days Per Year Parenting Time

Tennessee Child Support Goes Up if Less Than 68 Days Per Year Parenting Time

Under the Tennessee Child Support Guidelines, the alternative residential parent’s (ARP’s) child support increases if the APR enjoys less than 68 days per year parenting time.  In a rather confusing description of the math below, the Guidelines increase child support if the alternate residential parent (ARP) has less than 68 days. This comes into play most often if the ARP is out of town and must travel a significant distance for parenting time limiting the normal parenting time less than every other weekend.  In those situations, the alternative residential parent should work hard to make up as much parenting time in the Summer as is possible. 

How Parenting Time Factors Affect the Tennessee Child Support Amount Owed

How Parenting Time Factors Affect the Tennessee Child Support Amount Owed

How Parenting Time Factors Affect the Tennessee Child Support Amount Owed.

Parenting time is the third of the three most important factors affecting the child support amount owed.  (Each parents’ income are the other two.) Note that child support starts to decrease for the alternative residential parent (ARP) if the parent enjoys more than 92 days.  Most “standard” parenting plans have the ARP enjoying 80 or 85 nights per year.