Child support should be viewed as an opportunity not a burden

Child support comes with child custody agreements. The premise for these payments is simple — both parents need to have a part in financially supporting their children. Child support payments are ordered by the court and must be paid according to the order.

Parents should realize that while child custody and support are often lumped together, they aren’t dependent on one another. A parent can have contact with a child even if they don’t pay child support. The child can’t be kept from the parent if the payments are made and the payments can’t be withheld if the child doesn’t see the parents.

Purpose of child support

A parent who receives child support can use the money for anything he or she feels is necessary for the child. Parents don’t have to show where the money goes or what they are going to spend it on. The important thing is that the child has what he or she needs to survive.

When you think about the amount that is associated with child support, you can easily see that the payments don’t cover everything the child will need. You have to remember that you have to pay for the child’s housing, utilities, food and other expenses with the child support money.

Other points about child support

Most child support orders also include requirements for medical insurance for the children. There should also be information about how uninsured medical expenses will be covered. This can help to take the fuss out of situations that have to do with this matter.

Since uninsured medical expenses are an extra expense that must be paid, both parents should fully understand what must be done. For example, deciding how the expenses will be split up and how the payments will be made can help. If one parent pays for the expenses and the other parent is responsible for all or part of the expense, you must decide how repayment will occur.

Put your children first

Child support matters aren’t always easy to handle. There is one thing that you should never do when these issues come up. Never put your children in the middle of this adult matter. Your children shouldn’t know about the financial matters. Don’t use them as a messenger about the money. Instead, speak directly to your ex to get the situation resolved.