WHAT EXACTLY DOES CHILD SUPPORT COVER?
My ex has been demanding that I pay additional money on top of my child support but I’m not sure if I have to. <-- Does that sound familiar? If so, you are not alone. Many people are confused about what is, and is not covered, by child support so let me break this down for you. Appendix IX-A of the New Jersey Child Support Guidelines gives you detailed information about what exactly the Guidelines include (you can read that here). But I’ve made a list of the most frequently asked expenses below.
IS automatically included in the New Jersey Child Support Guidelines
Clothing / shoes – includes everyday clothing / shoes and school uniforms and diapers
Food – includes food for at home and school lunch
Personal expenses – includes haircuts and school supplies
IS NOT but can be included in the New Jersey Child Support Guidelines
Daycare / aftercare expenses
Private school tuition
Health insurance expenses for the child
Other recurring expenses such as yearly summer camp expenses and yearly sports expenses (such as traveling team sign up cost)
The New Jersey Child Support Guidelines automatically calculate other parental expenses into the Guidelines. This means that you will not receive additional credit regardless of whether you actually pay these expenses. These expenses include: 1) housing (including rent, mortgage, utilities) and 2) transportation (including car payment, gas). Many times people ask for credit in their calculation because they feel the child support is too high or too low because they have to pay housing expenses. Also, many times one parent will request transportation expenses related to parenting time. “I need gas money to bring the baby to you.” That’s not appropriate.
So the next time the custodial parent tells you “I need money for clothes / diapers / food / haircuts / school supplies” you can direct their attention to Appendix IX-A and tell them that’s included. Now of course, you can pay extra. Let’s be honest, school clothes and supplies can get expensive. So, if are able to pay extra or buy some of those things, that’s a good thing. But, if you are unable to, don’t worry, it is factored into the New Jersey Child Support Guidelines.
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The contents of this blog entry are provided for informational purposes only. You should consult with an attorney to determine how the law applies to the facts of your particular case. Reading this blog entry does not create an attorney-client relationship with Kelly McGriff Law.