Hey there (30M) We’re going through a divorce and the last thing we are working on is figuring out child support.

I fully intend to pay the support and I want what’s best for my Daughter - please don’t let that get confused with my question.

The more I think about CS, the more the concept confuses me.

In Ohio CS is based on total earned income of the parents and then paid proportional to whomever makes more (I think). I make $85k a year with an average of $20k in bonus. The exwife makes roughly $75k

Our kid is 14 months old - my work travel schedule doesn’t allow for 50/50 so I’ve conceded to 33/66 until I travel less (I would prefer 50/50)

4 days a week (T-F) the kid is at daycare 7-5. I’ll get her every other Friday-Tuesday.

I fully respect paying 1/2 of daycare which is $550/mo ($1100 total). The ex wife is pushing for the state suggested CS of $850 a month.

Assuming we both bear 50% of all child cost. The divorce papers also say that I’m responsible for 1/2 of all medical bills and extracurricular cost later on.

Is the assumption I’m supposed to believe that above daycare, medical, and extracurricular cost, my 14mo has $600/mo in bills? ($300 from each parent per my CS obligation)

Her car is fully paid off (we did that). And we both have 2br apartments to give our daughter her own space. So living arrangements are identical.

In my mind I fear the excess money is just going to be used by my ex wife to maintain our standard of living which we lose because she filed for divorce.

Again, I want my daughter to have the best life possible. But from a purely numbers standpoint, CS seems weirdly skewed.