The guidelines set the paying parent's contribution in accordance with the average proportion of income that a person at that income level spends on his or her children. In other words, the guidelines ask "what would a parent with this income usually spend on his or her children?" and set the support payment accordingly. The parent's financial contribution is set according to his or her own income.
The receiving parent is expected to contribute a similar share of his or her income to meet the costs of raising the child. The standards of living of the child and the receiving parent are inseparable because the child resides in his or her household. This approach allows the children to continue to share in increases or decreases in their parents' income, just as they would have if the two parents had continued to live together.
