unfortunate real world algebra...

C

choocharoo

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Sep 12, 2010
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For everyone who thinks you'll never use algebra in real life, I'm hoping someone here can volunteer an answer that shows you that you can use algebra to solve real world problems.


I am getting divoced and am I am trying to figure out how much my child support will go up based on my soon-to-be-x-wife getting a job. Currently I work and make $84000 per year and my wife doesn't work. I know if she gets a job, my child support payment will change and I just want to be financially prepared for this. I can't seem to be able to figure out an equation that will tell me if my share will go up or down, if she gets a job at different salaries.

The state says that the total amount of money needed per month for 2 parents to raise a child is 25% of our combined income and that each parent is responsible for a proportional amount of that 25% number based on what portion of the total monthly income comes from each parent. Right now that means it takes $1750/month which I am 100% responsible for since she does not work at all currently. If I made less it would be a lower amount and if I made more, it would be higher. However my wife may be getting a job so that our total combined monthly income will increase. Which means that the 25% number will also increase, however my fraction of the total monthly income will be smaller than 100% . With an increase in her salary, she will be responsible for paying some of the child costs, proportional to the percent of our total monthly income that her salary is. I'm trying to figure out if it is better for me if she doesn't work, or if it is better for me if she works up to a certain salary or if it is always better for me if she works regardless of her salary. By better for me I mean less child support I need to pay. I can barely afford the $1750 so if it goes up then I'll definitely need to get a second job. I'm trying to be prepared for anything.

So I'm calling my soon-to-be-x-wife's monthly income ( if she gets a job) 'X'. I make 7000 per month so 'Z' is our total monthly income: Z=7000+X.
Then the portion of child support that I need to pay is prorated by the percentage that my monthly salary is of our combined monthly income which I call Z. so I am calling what I need to pay 'Y' ab=nd I'm referring to my fraction of Z as 7000/Z.
I am trying to come up with a graph that will tell me how much monthly child support I will need to pay to my soon-yo-be-X-wife based on an increase in our combined monthly salaries when my soon-to-be-X-wife gets a job. Ideally I'd like to know for a range of values like if she makes $10000/year or 20K or 30K or 50K...or 100K.. I was hoping for a way to graph it where I can see the impact on my payments if she gets a job at varying possible salaries.
These are the equations I set up but it's not quite getting me the answers I need since I just keep going around in circles:

Z = 7000 +X, where X = my wife's salary and 7000 is my monthly salary amd Z is our combined monthly salary
Y= (7000/Z)* 0.25*Z, where Y = the amount of child support I need to pay
W =(X/Z)*0.25Z, where W = the amount of child rearing costs that my wife is responsible for and
0.25Z=Y+W so that
Y=0.25Z-W

That's as far as I can get and think it's isn't quite right.

Any help would be GREATLY appreciated

Thanks!
 
choocharoo said:
For everyone who thinks you'll never use algebra in real life, I'm hoping someone here can volunteer an answer that shows you that you can use algebra to solve real world problems.


I am getting divoced and am I am trying to figure out how much my child support will go up based on my soon-to-be-x-wife getting a job. Currently I work and make $84000 per year and my wife doesn't work. I know if she gets a job, my child support payment will change and I just want to be financially prepared for this. I can't seem to be able to figure out an equation that will tell me if my share will go up or down, if she gets a job at different salaries.

The state says that the total amount of money needed per month for 2 parents to raise a child is 25% of our combined income and that each parent is responsible for a proportional amount of that 25% number based on what portion of the total monthly income comes from each parent. Right now that means it takes $1750/month which I am 100% responsible for since she does not work at all currently. If I made less it would be a lower amount and if I made more, it would be higher. However my wife may be getting a job so that our total combined monthly income will increase. Which means that the 25% number will also increase, however my fraction of the total monthly income will be smaller than 100% . With an increase in her salary, she will be responsible for paying some of the child costs, proportional to the percent of our total monthly income that her salary is. I'm trying to figure out if it is better for me if she doesn't work, or if it is better for me if she works up to a certain salary or if it is always better for me if she works regardless of her salary. By better for me I mean less child support I need to pay. I can barely afford the $1750 so if it goes up then I'll definitely need to get a second job. I'm trying to be prepared for anything.

So I'm calling my soon-to-be-x-wife's monthly income ( if she gets a job) 'X'. I make 7000 per month so 'Z' is our total monthly income: Z=7000+X.
Then the portion of child support that I need to pay is prorated by the percentage that my monthly salary is of our combined monthly income which I call Z. so I am calling what I need to pay 'Y' ab=nd I'm referring to my fraction of Z as 7000/Z.
I am trying to come up with a graph that will tell me how much monthly child support I will need to pay to my soon-yo-be-X-wife based on an increase in our combined monthly salaries when my soon-to-be-X-wife gets a job. Ideally I'd like to know for a range of values like if she makes $10000/year or 20K or 30K or 50K...or 100K.. I was hoping for a way to graph it where I can see the impact on my payments if she gets a job at varying possible salaries.
These are the equations I set up but it's not quite getting me the answers I need since I just keep going around in circles:

Z = 7000 +X, where X = my wife's salary and 7000 is my monthly salary amd Z is our combined monthly salary
Y= (7000/Z)* 0.25*Z, where Y = the amount of child support I need to pay
W =(X/Z)*0.25Z, where W = the amount of child rearing costs that my wife is responsible for and
0.25Z=Y+W so that
Y=0.25Z-W

That's as far as I can get and think it's isn't quite right.

Any help would be GREATLY appreciated

Thanks!
Click to expand...

The way you have posed the problem - there is no upper limit of child support (exact money-wise) your percentage of payment will never change (till the child is 18).

Whatever your wife makes - she will contribute 25% of that - while you are paying 25% of what you are making. She is and would be paying 25% of her salary (her salary being 0 now she is paying 25% of that which is 0).
 
The state says that the total amount of money needed per month for 2 parents to raise a child is 25% of our combined income and that each parent is responsible for a proportional amount of that 25% number based on what portion of the total monthly income comes from each parent.

\(\displaystyle In \ algebraic \ terms, \ this \ means: \ Cost \ of \ child \ per \ month \ = \ .25[father's \ monthy \ income\)

\(\displaystyle + \ mother's \ monthy \ income].\)

\(\displaystyle Hence, \ at \ present, \ we \ have: \ C \ = \ .25[\$7000.00 \ + \ 0] \ = \ \$1750.00\)

\(\displaystyle Now, \ assume \ the \ ex-wife \ gets \ a \ job \ making \ \$3000.00 \ a \ month,\)

\(\displaystyle then \ C \ = \ .25[\$7000.00+\$3000.00] \ = \ \$2500.00, \ note, \ only \ the \ child \ makes \ out, \ you \ still\)

\(\displaystyle pay \ \$1750.00.\)

\(\displaystyle Ergo, \ for \ you \ to \ pay \ less, \ you \ can \ default \ on \ your \ payment \ or \ become \ a \ pauper.\)

\(\displaystyle One \ other \ possibility \ to \ get \ you \ off \ the \ hook, \ ex-wife \ remarries \ and \ new \ husband \ is\)

\(\displaystyle dumb \ enough \ to \ adopt \ your \ child.\)

\(\displaystyle In \ other \ words, \ until \ the \ child \ reaches \ his \ or \ her \ majority \ (18 \ in \ most \ states) \ you \ are\)

\(\displaystyle require \ (by \ law) \ to \ pay \ 25\% \ of \ your \ monthly \ income \ for \ the \ upbringing \ of \ said \ child\)

\(\displaystyle regardless \ of \ whether \ your \ ex-wife \ works \ or \ not.\)

\(\displaystyle Hence, \ in \ closing, \ it \ sounds \ like \ you \ might \ have \ been \ hornswoggle \ by \ your \ divorce \ lawyer.\)
 
Thanks everyone- I guess I have misinterpreted the regulation since when I input different salaries for my STBX-wife into the state online child support calcuation spreadsheet, I come up with me owing more per month ( which I couldn't figure out) but by varying amounts that don't seem to follow a rule based on changes in her salary. That's why I was looking for an equation. I'll call the state help line today and double check with them. Perhaps the form wasn't resetting properly each time. It doesn't seem right that I should have to pay more if she decides to go get a job but then again, none of this ordeal seems right. So I hope you are right and I can count on $1750 as the max! Still, since we will have 50/50 equal custody ( thank goodness) , if she makes the same as I do , why would I need to pay her $1750???? And since she has a master's degree and could easily make more than I do, I 'd still have to pay 1750 even if she makes twice what I do??? Sorry, sorry, wrong place for this. It's almost comical.
Again, thanks for so generously taking your time to help me out . I appreciate all your effort and help and your making me chuckle with the "aim" , "default" and "pauper" coments.
Much thanks! At least trying to do the math for it was fun- I love algebra still!
 
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