Q: What falls outside the coverage of child support? i.e. expenses that I should split with my ex, in addition to CS?
I pay half of private school tuition for my two kids. In addition I give their mother a monthly child support amount. I also pay for half of summer camps, and half of medical expenses that she pays out of pocket. However, she is asking me to also pay half of other expenses incurred during the year for example: school uniforms, sports extracurriculars, music lessons, etc. The kids are with me around 40% of the time. I would be more than happy to split all expenses with her down the middle in lieu of a monthly child support amount, but she doesn't want that. They also do not have any childcare expenses. Can you please clarify what is considered "extra", or outside of what child support should cover? As I mentioned, I already pay half of camps and medical.
- In response to the response I received (thank you, by the way), I should have pointed out that my settlement agreement does not outline what CS can and can't be used for. All it says is that I am to pay X amount per month.
A: This is governed by what is in your agreement. So, no one can answer your question without reading it and giving you advice based on what is or is not in the agreement.
A: If you have an order for support your order should state what you pay. There should have been a child support worksheet completed when the court established your order that included any expenses the parties pay. There could have also been a child support addendum, which further explained what each parent should pay and the percentages. If you are being asked to pay your share of something outside of your court orders, you may want to contact an attorney to determine if you would be in contempt for non-payment. An attorney can review your court documents and get a better understanding of what was included in your support and what was not included. They can also review your documents and see what you were suppose to split equally with the custodial parent.
Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.
