Child support has certain intended uses that parents should be familiar with. It can help them negotiate the challenges of child support, a child support order, enforcing child support and modifying child support as necessary. Children have the right to financial support from both of the parents and following child support orders is important which is why parents should know what that support is intended for.
Intended uses for child support
Child support is a main concern for many divorced and unmarried parents which is why they should know what child support should be used for. Child support should be used for:
- Basic necessities for the child;
- Medical care for the child;
- Any education fees for the child;
- Childcare expenses for the child;
- Transportation and travel for the child;
- Entertainment for the child;
- Extracurricular activities for the child; and
- College expenses.
In general, child support is intended to cover the basic needs of a child such as food, housing and clothing, however, some states allow child support to be used for some of the other purposes listed above.
Child support negotiations
Divorcing or unmarried couples should negotiate if a particular expense is not covered by basic child support such as extraordinary medical care expenses. Additionally, parents are typically required to provide some form of medical insurance for the child. If these provisions are not included in the child support order, the family law court can help the parents resolve their concerns.
Child support is vital for the support of the child and is typically a primary concern for parents. Understanding what child support should be used for can help address some of those concerns.
