What Child Support Payments Can Be Paid Toward?

 

Posted on March 17, 2019

Child support was created to make the lives of children of divorced or separated parents as comfortable as possible. By court order, the noncustodial parent must make monthly payments based on their income that will help maintain the child’s accustomed standard of living. Because custodial parents are not required to report on their child support spending, it's possible they may attempt to spend the child’s money on their own personal needs. To avoid potential court-ordered mediation, here is a reminder of approved child support payment purchases.

Basic Needs

Designed to allow financial assistance to cover a child’s basic needs, child support should fund a child’s food, housing, clothing, and any other expenses related to a child’s growth. While spending is not necessarily governed by statute, custodial parents are meant to use the support to help cover the costs associated with raising a child.

Additional Child-Related Expenses

Raising a child often involves much more than the costs associated with their basic needs.

• Health Insurance- children are fragile and require healthcare and medical insurance coverage.
• School Fees- children need school supplies, books, activity fees for field trips, and sometimes private school uniforms and tuition.
• Childcare- Employed custodial parents often rely on daycare or after-school care to keep their children occupied until they get off work. These programs can be costly, especially for multiple children.

If you are a parent looking to receive additional child support from a noncustodial parent or suspect your child support payments are not going toward your child’s basic needs, contact our The Rfamily law attorneys at The Roberts Family Law Firm in Orlando today. Our experienced attorneys are familiar with Florida child support guidelines and will aggressively represent your needs. For more information, call us today at 407-426-6999 or fill out the online form provided on this page and we will contact you shortly.