Do the Guidelines apply to everybody?
A: Almost everybody. The law says that the guidelines apply unless a family has more than 6 kids (that's where the charts end). It's the Court's decision whether to apply the Guidelines or make exceptions in special cases. Some examples of special cases are voluntary placement foster-care situations, or children who are especially gifted or disabled. If you want to read more about special circumstances where the Court can decide not to use the Guidelines, read the section of the Guidelines called 'Appendix IX-A'.