Bill > HB2042

This bill modifies existing Missouri child support law by adding a new provision that, when parents are awarded equal time with a child, the court shall not order one parent to pay child support to the other parent for the child's reasonable or necessary expenses. Specifically, the bill adds a new subsection (14) to section 452.340 of Missouri Revised Statutes, which governs child support determinations. Under the current law, courts consider multiple factors when determining child support, including the financial needs of the child, parents' resources, the child's standard of living, and custody arrangements. The new provision creates a specific exception to the standard child support calculation method when physical custody is precisely split 50/50 between parents, effectively eliminating child support payments in such scenarios. This change could potentially simplify child support proceedings in cases where parents share equal parenting time and have similar financial resources, reducing potential financial disputes between parents after separation or divorce.