Divorce With Respect

Accounting for child support

On Behalf of | Jul 31, 2015 | Child Support, English, Firm News, Sacramento Legal Issues Blog | 0 comments

We often discuss the challenges that many people have when it comes to calculating and assigning child support. Of course this can be a contentious process, but ultimately, a decision will be made and an order for support will be issued.

This doesn’t mean that the complications of child support are over. In fact, many people run into problems when parents disagree about how the money is spent. For instance, many parents find themselves at odds over how child support is spent. In order to avoid this and hopefully keep these disputes from erupting, there are a few tools that parents may want to consider.

As noted in this article, there are a number of smartphone apps, software programs, and websites available that can help parents track child support payments and share receipts. While they are certainly not necessary, these tools can help parents keep some transparency when it comes to the financial needs of children.

Parents who utilize these resources may find that they can avoid a number of situations that can put strain on what may already be a fragile relationship.

  • Payments can be tracked and verified which can prevent disputes over whether a check was written and where it ended up.
  • Communicating through third-party products can allow parents to exchange financial information without having to speak directly to each other.
  • Questionable charges or overpayments can be quickly identified and addressed.
  • Financial information can be saved and reviewed periodically to look for certain patterns that may indicate excessive charges or unnecessary expenses.

It is important to note that in general, custodial parents are not required to provide any sort of itemization of how child support it spent. It is up to that parent to use payments to provide for the children and make sure their well-being is protected. If there are concerns that the kids are not being taken care of despite the regular and full payment of child support, then there may be grounds to take legal action. However, when add-ons are incorporated into a base child support order for uninsured medical expenses and extracurricular activities for the minor children, since these expenses are in addition to base support, tracking the expenses, providing receipts, and making reimbursement payments becomes necessary.

Many parents prefer to avoid conflict and pursue amicable means of making co-parenting a little easier on everyone. Keeping lines of communication open, avoiding emotional disputes, and working with instead of against each other can help parents get through the challenges of raising their children separately but together.

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