NEW MEXICO Part 15

If we have joint custody, does either parent owe child support?

Yes. Joint custody can mean either joint legal custody, which refers to decision-making powers, or joint physical custody (also called timeshare and parenting time), which refers to the time children spend in each parent's care. Because child support is based on income and parenting time, one parent usually owes child support to the other. The only time child support could be zero, is where both parents earn exactly the same gross income, pay equal amounts for insurance and work-related daycare, and have the children the exact same number of days per year.