• Learn the child support laws in Wyoming.courthouse image by Michael Shake from Fotolia.com
  
  Child support cases in the state of Wyoming are determined by the court pursuant to the Wyoming Child Support Guidelines. These guidelines are codified within the Wyoming state statutes in Title 20, Chapter 2, Article 3, Sections 301-315. This statute outlines how support obligations are calculated and how they are to be enforced.
  
  

Establishment of Income

• The court must first establish what each parent earns to determine what the obligation will be. The state of Wyoming utilizes a form known as the Child Support Computation Form to gather pertinent financial information about the parents. This form acts as a worksheet to assist the court in making its determination based on the state's calculation table.
  
  

Calculation Guidelines

• The court will determine the amount of the obligation in relation to the amount of income. This specific dollar amount is listed in a table and ranges in intervals of one child to five children (any amount more than five is reflected by the amount displayed under five children). This payment table is located in Title 20, Chapter 2, Article 3, Section 304 of Wyoming statutes.
  
  

Abatement of Obligation

• Abatement is covered In Section 305 of the child support code. On days that the noncustodial parent has custody of the child (for 15 or more days), the state will abate (or lower) the daily obligation by half of the determined amount, unless otherwise decided by the court. The noncustodial parent must file for the abatement with the clerk of courts within 30 days after the period in which the abatement is to be claimed. The code states that the filing fee to be rendered to the clerk is $10.
  
  

Deviations from Guidelines

• Section 307 outlines the circumstances under which the court has the ability to deviate from the statutes. A judge will presume that the obligation calculated using the table in Section 304 of the child support code of Wyoming is accurate, unless compelled by one of the parents. There are a variety of issues that permit a judge to determine that a deviation from the code is in order. These issues include: the age of the child, cost of medical/child care, special educational needs, cost of transportation, amount of time spent with the parent, any other necessary expense for the child or any other factor deemed relevant by the court.
  
  

Enforcement of Order

• Section 310 covers the enforcement of a child-support order made by a family court in Wyoming. According to this statute, if an appropriate motion is filed a parent will be required to appear before the court and show just cause why the parent shouldn't be held in contempt. If the parent has been shown to have willfully violated the order, the court may issue an order that it deems necessary and appropriate. If an able-bodied parent has violated the court order, he or she might be ordered to attend the Personal Opportunities With Employment Responsibilities work program offered by the Department of Workforce Services.