During a divorce, parents often become the most heated over child support. The parent who receives child support wants to ensure he or she gets enough to help with the costs of the child and the one paying to support the child does not want to overpay.
Generally, child support covers the basic needs of a child. However, defining basic needs can become complicated and you may be surprised how much child support can go towards.
Necessities
Necessities may include food, shelter, clothing and medical care. Parents often use child support payments to help pay for child-rearing basics. In addition to feeding and clothing the kids, the payments can also go towards shelter costs, like rent payments and other bills. In addition, child support payments can cover healthcare costs. Generally, your children will have insurance under at least one parent’s employee-covered benefits.
Childcare
Most families have to rely on some form of childcare, particularly in homes with two incomes. If a child had a stay-at-home parent while you and your spouse remained together, you might have to figure out childcare after the divorce. Child support can help pay the childcare costs at daycare.
In addition to childcare, support is also for school fees. For example, you can make payments to a private school or pay for extra-curricular activities. Courts will often consider how much schooling and daycare costs where the child lives.
Parents can also use child support to pay for recreational costs associated with children. Child support should help children thrive in their environment, which includes basic entertainment costs.