The Children in Present Home Worksheet amount is optional. This line only applies if one of the parents has other children living with him or her which are not the children for whom child support is being awarded by this worksheet.

The theory behind the Children in Present Home Worksheet is similar to the rationale used in deducting previously ordered child support obligations of a parent to children who are not issue of the marriage. A parent who is obligated to pay child support for another child not of this relationship is entitled to deduct the amount of the ordered child support in the other case from his income in the current case. Likewise, a parent who has children from another relationship who are living with him or her (and therefore does not pay child support for those children) should also be entitled to deduct from his or her income an amount sufficient to reflect the support he or she gives to those children.

For example, suppose Jane Doe and John Doe have a child together and Jane is awarded custody of the child. Jane was previously married and had a child in that marriage. She was also awarded custody of that child. Jane is entitled to deduct from her income (and place on this line) an amount sufficient to reflect the support he or she gives to the child from the previous relationship.