Ciampa v. Ciampa
Court of Appeals of Kentucky
415 S.W.3d 97 (Ky. Ct. App. 2013)
Peter and Cindy Ciampa divorced with three children and Peter's income over $800,000 annually, well above what Kentucky's statutory child-support guidelines account for; the decree set Peter's child support at $6,000 per month. As each older child turned 18, the parties sought modifications; when the second child aged out, Peter moved to reduce his payments, and Cindy presented evidence the remaining child's monthly expenses exceeded $9,000. The family court found the child's reasonable monthly living expenses were $6,617 and reduced Peter's payment to $5,800; Peter appealed.
Whether a family court's decision to set child support above statutory child-support guidelines must be based primarily on the child's needs.