Do I need to pay child support if we have joint custody but I live in a hotel room at the moment?

You asked: Do I need to pay child support if we have joint custody but I live in a hotel room at the moment? Child support in Michigan is calculated based upon the number of annual overnights each party has with the children, the income of both parties, and certain expenses including daycare, health care premiums, mandatory deductions such as union dues.  If you have joint physical custody and 50% of the annual overnights with the children, one or the other of you would still have a child support obligation unless you both earn the same amount.  For example, if each of you exercised 50% of the overnights, you earned $50,000/year and your spouse earns $25,000/year, you would have a child support obligation.  Stu Shafer.