"Rent of $400 a month (assuming you are still living with family) and your half would be $200. Groceries for small children is about $100 a week. Your half would be $50.
Clothes, toys, entertainment and the nice things of life cost approximately another $50 a week or your half $25.
So far we have $275 if you were still living together.
Now let's include utilities, phone, cable, taxes and other necessities just to live and you will be spending approximately $100 a week if still living together. Your half would be another $50.
Now we're at $325 a week.
Childcare for small children (which you did not mention) is approximately $125 per child a week (for a safe, qualified environment) so that's a total of $250 a week or, your half is $125.
Now we're at $450 a week.
Now let's compare. Living together with wife and kids you would be paying approximately $450 a week for everything. Living apart and insuring your children are safe and healthy $255 a week.
Is that fair? You decide."
*** I am a little lost, why are either of them paying $400/week on rent?
wouldn't it be $50.00 per week?
I do not see where you added proper numbers to get $255.00 per week. I think MAYBE you got a little confuse with your own numbers...
Look at this:
Rent is $400 per month- x 12= 4800/52=92.31 per week on rent.
So we are at $92.31 so far
Then-Groceries are $50 per week
so we are at $142.31 per week
Add $25.00 for misc expenses, entertainment, clothes, whatever
We are at $167.31
Also add $50.00 for utilities- $217.31
The add in childcare- $125 per week. We are up to a grand total of $342.31 per week.
Which is 17,800.12 a year, which is 55% of HIS income. I think that is a little excessive if you ask me.
I think if you base if off of his income @ 25 %, which is: 8,000 per year @ 153.85 per week, that sounds more reasonable.
Sorry Hex, I just got really confused on your numbers. you were already deducting his portion from the total amount, and then divided it again, I did not understand why.
I guess if you would want this to be 50/50, then that is great, but with most court ordered cs, it is not to exceed a certain percent, and even with the numbers you calculated Hex, he would be paying 41.4 % of his gross income. For some reason, that seems a little unreasonable, since they take out CS taxed, then fed and state taxes, if he has 401 K, union dues, whatever, he would be bringing home little to nothing each month.
Just trying to understand that is all, no offense to your numbers. maybe I am just slow...