You Should Know What Child Support Covers
When it comes to matters of child support, you and/or your former partner may have a variety of questions. Here is one of the most common: What does child support cover?
Many people believe that this is only used to cover bare essentials, such as clothing and food. However, this is not exactly the case. This is paid from one partner to another to cover a variety of expenses, all of which are important to the well being of the child.
Here is a list of some of the many things child support can be used for:
- Food, clothing and shelter
- Medical care
- Childcare
- Uninsured medical expenses
- Transportation and travel
- Extracurricular activities, such as sports activities and summer camps
- College expenses
As you can see, there is more on the list than basic necessities. For example, one parent may use a child support payment to pay for summer camp.
Tip: To ensure that both parties are on the same page, it’s important to discuss all expenses if possible. There are some cases when this is hard to do, but parents who are open with each other, despite their split, have an easier time doing what is best for their child.
No matter where you live or what you have gone through in the past, it is a must to know what child support covers. This is true if you are paying child support or receiving it. When you have a clear idea of your rights in Utah and what is expected of both parties, it’s easier to avoid a challenging situation.
Source: FindLaw, “What Does Child Support Cover?,” accessed Feb. 25, 2016
