What do child support payments include?

Daycare can be an "extra" to child support. (I don't think occasional "babysitting" counts because that is for the parent's convenience and not a necessity in order to work).

Doctors visits: In NJ the custodial parent is responsible for the first $250 per year then their % of the total income of both parents. At the end of the year a calculation determines how much the non-custodial parent owes in refund and this is handled through court.

Dance classes: May be considered an "extra" in which the court can/will determine if the NCP should pay and how much.

If you have a drastic change in income then you absolutely can and SHOULD file for an adjustment with the court. If you two were married then your change in income would cause for an adjustment of family expenses, same goes for when you're separated.

I HATE women who take advantage of good men and leave a bad rep for the women like myself who are trying to do what is right. I spend way more that double the support amount on my daughter every month. I do nothing for myself. I encourage visitation and even bend over backwards (which I shouldn't) only to be called a money grubber by the man who needed to borrow gas money to get to court for the child support hearing (making $55k a year).

Please go through the courts and have them decide whether she should be getting more or less. It protects you as well. I know many men think there is a stigma of going to court to have the $$$ part of caring for a child settled but honestly: If you go through court then you both are held accountable and she can't take advantage of you (or you her, but it doesn't sound like the case here.)

Good luck and God Bless...

I commend you for being a good father and willingly providing for your child. Let's say that you give a total of 300 per month to your child. That's 75 dollars a week. No, my man, that is not enough for your child to live on. That's just enough money to cover food, clothes and a few extras. If you have any extra money, then try to help your child. Don't give your ex the cash. Just pay for the baby sitter and some of the dance classes yourself with a check or money order. And if your income decreases, your child support checks will be adjusted by the judge.

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RE:

What do child support payments include?

I guess what I'm asking is, if I'm paying X amount a month for child support, should my ex be asking me for $$ for babysitting, doctors visits, dentists, dance classes etc? I already pay for my child's health insurance plus child support. Also, if my income goes down drastically can I...

It depends. In addition to child support, you will usually be responsible for 1/2 of any medical or dental costs not covered by insurance. You might also be responsible for 1/2 the cost of child care, assuming that the child care is for the purpose of her being able to work. You might also be responsible to pay 1/2 of costs for things like dance, etc.

The basic idea is that your child should suffer as little as possible from the failure of the marriage. So while you might not like it, if the costs are valid and are covered in your divorce decree, you should pony up. Just make sure you get copies of the medical and dental bills showing the amount not covered by insurance, copies of the child care bills, etc. Even better, when you get copies of the bills, pay the provider directly if possible. Keep records, and let your ex know you will be deducting your portion of the child care from your taxes, so if she doesn't want an audit, she should only deduct her half.

You shouldn't have to pay extra, but a dedicated father would do all he can to support his children. Unfortunately, we as men cannot control how our X's spend the child support money. My ex and her new husband used mine to make the mortgage payments on his house that he was buying before they met. Nothing I could do about it. Even when women refuse visitation, the payments still have to be made. A little known fact about child support: The U.S. Government matches dollar-for-dollar every dollar the State can collect. They pay this to the State that collects the money. This is why visitation rights are not important to the Friend Of The Court. It's all about the money. Johnny (Bellevile, Michigan) *** I AM IN THE PLAYPEN WITH SWEET MILDRED... CRAWL IN AND JOIN US ***

Great Question! As a divorcee as well I was curious and decided to Google your question.The answer is NO! Child support is not dis-chargeable in bankruptcy. "Current and back child support is not eligible for discharge in bankruptcy - ever. Furthermore, any debts resulting from "the nature of support" are also ineligible for discharge. "In the nature of support" debts are debts resulting from your child's care and may include medical bills for your son or daughter's care. In addition, while collection agencies and creditors are forbidden by law to contact you once you file for bankruptcy, if you're filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, action can still be taken to ensure you pay your child support. On the other hand, if you file for Chapter 13, you may receive a temporary stay of collection efforts while the bankruptcy process occurs. Keep in mind that any stay is only temporary. Regardless of whether you file for Chapter 7 or Chapter 13, the fact remains that you are still responsible for all current and back payments of child support." Good luck to you! Smooches!

well child support usually mean support for the child. elect gas rent clothes food. any extra sports school supplies dr and dentist appt. stuff like that well im sure that's not a monthly expense. so why not pay for half. also yes if your income drops or she gets a raise at all, you move ,she moves she has a kid you have another kid any change in your or her life style can be reason enough to get the child support adjusted. sorry for the really bad punctuation

Child support is to help cover the costs of raising the child so it is to include all the above and since youre also paying insurance then you owe your ex no more unless its a special occasion or emergency or out of the goodnes of your heart. If you lose your job or take a drastic pay cut then notify your court or child support collection agency of this immediately and they will assist you in whatever way is best for all and keep you out of any legal trouble too. Pay your ex no more extra than what you are already paying and youre legally okay. Good luck

Support is supposed to cover everything other than medical, which is usually ordered separately.

You have no legal obligation to pay for any of that unless it's spelled out in the support order.

If your income changes, you can petition for a review. If you purposely reduce your income, though, your support amount will not be lowered.

Child support pays for everything. If you wanted to be a good father and a good role model you would pay 1/2 for all her extracurricular activities - including dance. If it goes down drastically - in these economic times - it is easier to get it reduced. Don't give her any more $$ unless it is for extracurricular activities (unless otherwise stated in your divorce). Sounds like she is taking a wee bit of advantage of you. Good luck.