High income child support disputes
Child support guidelines are built around ordinary household budgets. When parental income sits well above the range the guideline schedule contemplates, the arithmetic stops answering the question and the argument shifts to what the child actually needs and what each parent can actually pay. Law Offices Of SRIS, P.C. handles support disputes of this kind in Virginia, Maryland, the District of Columbia, New Jersey and New York.
Why the guideline number is a starting point
In Virginia, Va. Code § 20-108.1 creates a rebuttable presumption that the guideline amount is the correct amount of support. That presumption can be rebutted, and the court may deviate based on the factors the statute enumerates — but the burden sits with the parent asking for the deviation, and the court must explain a departure. The other states in which the firm practices apply their own guideline schedules with their own deviation standards.
The disputes that actually get litigated
Above-guideline cases tend to turn on a short list: what counts as income when compensation is equity, deferred or distributed from an entity; whether a parent is voluntarily underemployed and should have income imputed; how private school tuition, extracurricular costs, travel and childcare are allocated; and whether a child with disabilities requires support structured to survive past majority. Each of these is an evidentiary question before it is a legal one.
What the evidence looks like
Tax returns alone rarely settle a high-income support case. Discovery typically reaches K-1s, partnership and corporate returns, equity award agreements, trust distributions and lifestyle evidence. Where a business is involved, a forensic accountant may be needed to distinguish personal expenses run through an entity from genuine business expense. Where employment capacity is disputed, a vocational evaluator may be needed.
Pages in this section
- Above-guideline child support
- College contribution disputes
- Divorce involving a special needs child trust
- Imputed income
- Private school tuition disputes
- Special needs child support trusts
- Nanny, travel and extracurricular expense disputes
Speak with Mr. Sris
Mr. Sris is a former prosecutor and the owner and founder of Law Offices Of SRIS, P.C., which has practiced since 1997. He is admitted in Virginia, Maryland, the District of Columbia, New Jersey and New York. Of Counsel attorneys handle matters alongside him. To request a confidential consultation, reach our location at (888) 437-7747. Consultations are by appointment.
Last reviewed: August 21, 2026.
Attorney Advertising. Law Offices Of SRIS, P.C., principal office: 4008 Williamsburg Court, Fairfax, VA 22032. By appointment. Call (888) 437-7747 to schedule.
The information on this page is general and is not legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is created by reading it or by contacting the firm. Case results depend on a variety of factors unique to each case. Results may vary.
Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Attorney responsible for this advertising: Mr. Sris.