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HOUSTON DAILY JOURNAL
New child support laws
offer new approach
Dear Readers, Last
week, in response to
a question, we start
ed looking at Georgia’s new
child support law.
This radically new
approach calculates “basic
child support obligations,”
taking into account both par
ents’ gross monthly income.
In an example, we found
child support obligations
increased, more so when the
non-custodial parent earned
more money than the custo
dial parent. This week we
continue our discussion.
As alluded to last
week, “pro rata” shares are
used to calculate “uninsured
health care costs, i.e., co
payments, deductibles, unin
sured expenses, etc. But,
they are also used to allo
cate responsibility for work
related childcare costs of the
custodial parent (previously
a non-factor). Thus, where
both parents work, this
new cost-sharing is likely to
increase the support costs of
the non-custodial parent.
So far, it looks like the
non-custodial parent may
be worse off under the new
rules; however, there are a
number of other changes
that probably favor the non
custodial parent. Let’s look
at a few of these.
It is common for the
non-custodial parent to be
ordered to provide health
insurance coverage for the
child.
While courts often consid
ered this factor (and trans
portation costs) in calculat
ing child support awards,
the new guidelines mandate
it.
What happens is that the
costs of health insurance
premiums, attributable to
each child, is distributed, on
a prorated basis, to each par
ent, probably to the benefit
of the non-custodial parent.
Other significant benefits
to non-custodial parents
include both a new “mini
mum” each parent has for
South leads back-to-school spending
Special to the Journal
Families in the South,
including Georgia, will spend
more on back-to-school shop
ping than families across the
rest of the country. According
to research performed by
BlGresearch families in the
South will spend an average
of $544.54 as compared to
an average of $500.37 for the
rest of the country.
In the poll, the South led in
all categories over the nation
al average, according to John
Heavener, President of the
Georgia Retail Association.
Spending on clothing in
the South is predicted to
be $230.06 as compared to
$224.06 nationwide.
Spending on shoes is pre
dicted to be $102.59 com
pared to $96.45 across the
country. And spending on
school supplies such as note
books, folders, pencils, back
packs, and lunchboxes is pro
jected to be $87.61 in the
South compared to $82.88.
Spending on electronics or
computer-related equipment
such as a home computers,
laptops, handheld organizers,
or calculators is projected to
be $124.28 as compared to a
national average of $96.78.
The survey found shifts
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Jim Rockefeller
Columnist
ajr@rockefellerlawcenter.com
“self-support reserve” (S9OO
per month) and a require
ment of assuming income
based on 40 hours per week
at minimum wage - some
thing courts often did, but
only with respect to the non
custodial parent. In the first
instance, a “floor” is set per
mitting the parents to have
at least that amount of his/
her income available to pro
vide for their own needs.
In the second instance, the
custodial parent has to pro
vide some presumed finan
cial assistance.
This is particularly sig
nificant where the custo
dial parent remarries and
chooses not to work (except
if caring for children under
the age of 4).
But, the most significant
benefit is the credit given
non-custodial parents for
their other children. This
credit can be for other sup
port obligations or non
ordered costs for raising
other children (excluding
stepchildren).
Under the old rules, a non
custodial parent with other
children might receive con
sideration in awarding child
support, but there were no
specific rules for doing so.
Now, an existing child sup
port obligation (or 75 per
cent of a “theoretical” calcu
lation as if one exists) may
be deducted from the non
custodial parent’s “adjusted
gross income,” in determin
ing the combined income
and the pro-rata responsi
bilities.
in spending by region.
Consumers in the West are
beefing up their back-to
school budgets ($409.19 last
year vs. $479.45 this year),
while spending in the South
is expected to rise as well
($434.09 in 2005 vs. $544.54
this year).
While consumers in the
Midwest cut back in 2005
($404.68), they are expect
ed to bump up spending
($521.10) this year. The
only area where consumers
are pulling back is in the
Northeast, where consumers
will be spending an estimated
$456.38, down from $513.07
in 2005.
According to the survey,
discount stores will remain
popular back-to-school shop
ping destinations, with nearly
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There are some other
changes pertaining to “will
ful” unemployment (or
underemployment) and a
new “ceiling” of $30,000
per month for the combined
gross income of both par
ents.
Also, a party is no longer
strictly limited to seeking
one (1) modification every
two (2) years, exceptions
being where there is a devia
tion from the court-ordered
visitation (more or less) or
involuntary unemployment.
However, a strict “parent
ing-time” formula, which
was in the law passed a year
ago, was repealed by this
new law. Finally, non-cus
todial parents can now be
required to pay for “extraor
dinary” educational (includ
ing private school tuition and
books) and medical expens
es, previously paid only by
the custodial parent.
As you can see this new
legislation amounts is a
radical departure from the
old child support guidelines.
Hence, it would be wise to
speak with an attorney for
advice on how the new law
affects your situation.
Warner Robins attorney
Jim Rockefeller is the for
mer Chief Assistant District
Attorney for Houston County,
and a former Florida State
Attorney. Owner of Rockefeller
Law Center, Jim has been'in
private practice since 2000.
E-mail your comments or
confidential legal questions
to ajr@rockefellerlawcenter.
com.
three-quarters (72.2 percent)
of shoppers heading to dis
counters to purchase items
on their lists. Department
stores and specialty stores
will be seeing increased traf
fic this year.
More than half of con
sumers will head to major
department stores to com
plete a portion of their back
to-school needs (53.3 percent
this year vs. 39.7 percent last
year) and close to a third will
shop at their favorite spe
cialty shop, such as clothing
or electronics store (30.9 per
cent in 2006 vs. 18.8 percent
in 2005).
Other popular destinations
include office supply stores
(35.8 percent), drug stores
(16.3 percent) and online
(15.2 percent).
F. Dennis Hooper
Certified
Leadership Development Coach
Building leaders and
organizations of excellence
(478) 988-0237 dhooper2(ajuno.com
LOCAL
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Creating an
intentional culture
Was it in geography,
world history, or
civics that you first
became aware of the word
“culture”? Or maybe you
first heard the term “cul
ture” in preparing Petri
dishes for studying bacte
ria.
However you first learned
of that word, you are now
building one in your orga
nization!
What? Nobody ever told
you that? I’m telling you
that being intentional
about building your culture
is one of your biggest jobs
as a leader!
Open your mind to how
an outside observer might
describe your organization’s
culture.
What if your leadership
team became more inten
tional about what you and
your colleagues want to cre
ate?
Let me share two exam
ples of intentional cultures
that you can study as mod
els to stimulate your imagi
nation!
Think back to that class
in U.S. history. Remember
those guys named Jefferson,
Adams, and Franklin?
Remember the Continental
Congress and debates about
how the big states and
small states would be rep
resented?
Some of you memorized,
“We, the people of the
United States, in order to
form a more perfect union
...” (Um, it gets a little
fuzzy after that!)
All that debate in the
1770’s was a large-scale
effort to establish an inten
tional culture.
Nothing like democracy
had ever existed before in
the history of the world! A
bunch of renegade ideas
were offered by people
who felt there had to be
a better way: “What if we
worked it like this?”
We take all that for
granted today, but those
activities were radi
cal! They sure took King
George 111 by surprise!
Over two centuries later,
the concepts are still being
copied!
How about a current cul-
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Dennis Hooper
Leaders Building
Leaders
dhooper2@juno.com
ture that’s being intention
ally built? Visit a Chick
fil-A restaurant and listen
to the employees. When
you hear “My pleasure!” in
response to your “Thank
you,” take a moment and
ask that person “Do you say
‘My pleasure!’ when you’re
not at work?” Listen close
ly. Then ask how working at
Chick-fil-A has influenced
this person’s life in other
ways.
In his 1989 book enti
tled “It’s Easier to Succeed
Than to Fail,” Truett Cathy
reveals that in 1946, at the
end of his first week operat
ing his new restaurant, he
and his brother Ben decided
to close on Sunday. “Never
have I intended to make a
big issue out of being closed
on Sunday,” Cathy writes.
But he also notes, “People
who take a day of rest to
worship the Lord and to
refresh themselves spiritu
ally and physically are the
kind of associates we seek.”
The company is very open
about how it conducts its
business.
Researching this arti
cle on the internet (web
address is www.chick-fil
a.com, I found many “fre
quently asked questions”
with surprisingly frank
answers!
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The stated purpose of
Chick-fil-A is, “To glori
fy God by being a faith
ful steward of all that is
entrusted to us. To have
a positive influence on all
who come in contact with
Chick-fil-A.” Their sys
tems and structures are
all intentionally set up to
serve. Your culture could be
intentional, too.
Ah, the cynics out there
are probably thinking,
“Sure, but what about
results?” In 2001, 55 years
into its history, Chick-fil-A
reached the $1 billion mark
in annual sales. Five years
later, they’ve doubled to $2
billion. Now that’s growth!
David Grossnickle, owner/
operator of the store on Sam
Nunn Boulevard in Perry,
was generous with his time
as I sought perspective for
this column.
Are you interested in
learning more about build
ing intentional culture?
Grossnickle says he’s will
ing to talk with you about
how Chick-fil-a is doing it!
People Pleasing!
(We will delight you!) .
scsf&dglr.
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