I love my son, and I don't mind paying support, it is my responsibility, but the level of support should be comensutrate with the supporters wage.
Avoid the FoC if you can.
They are not your friend. They don't give a rats ass about the non-custodial parent. On top of that, a portion of the money taken from you goes to pay for their ineffective bloated beuracracy.
If you can reach an agreement with your x, do it. If she is afraid of getting screwed, she can go to the FoC at anytime down the road if she wants to. Make sure you pay her with a check, and keep the records. If she decides to go to the FoC and squeal about not being paid, you'll have the records to back it up, and she will look like an ass to the courts.
The FoC is a nightmare.
I was ordered to pay close to $700/month for one child when I had an income of just over 2k per month (before taxes).
When I got out of the Marine corps, I was out of work for 6 months, and unable to pay the support. When I finally did get a job, my income was cut in half. The FoC came after me for what I was paying, plus the back support I had not been able to pay for the previous 6 months. My check was garnished and I was being left with $50/week after working 40 hours. I begged and pleaded with the FoC for a review. I lost nearly everything. I was kicked out of my apartment, but not before all the utilities were cut off, my car insurance was cancelled, and I nearly lost my truck. I was selling off guns left and right, and became a known face at the pawn shop just to keep food on my plate, and gas in my car so I could keep going to work to earn just over $1/hr.
The FoC dragged their feet for 6 months before I got a review. My income was cut by 60%, but they only lowered my support by 40%, and refused to give me credit for the time I was unemployed, and would not make the lowered payments retroactive to the time my income went down, so all that extra $ was gone forever.
My son's mother, until very recently made it very difficult for me to see my boy. I complained to the FoC about enforcing my visitation rights, but they wouldn't budge.
Pardon my language, but FoC does not stand for "Friend of the Court" it stands for "Friend of the Cunt."