Divorces are never easy, especially when you have children – even when you have visitation, financial expenses, and child support figured out. In a perfect world, each parent has a 50-50 duty when it comes to childcare needs during the divorce. However, this can become complicated because even a happy marriage income is rarely financially equal and after a split, there are many different elements to consider, concerning finances.
Beyond Child Support: Other Childcare Expenses
It is a common misconception that child support should cover all childcare obligations. Unfortunately, that is usually not the case. Child support is meant to make sure the child has a comfortable lifestyle, though there are many things a child may need that would not be covered by child support. These things include:
Daycare and babysitting
It is common for one or both parents to need professional childcare since it allows them to go to work. Many non-custodial parents are surprised to learn that they must contribute to this on top of child support payments. It is common for courts to require both parents to contribute to daycare bills.
Extracurricular activities
It may not be necessary, but children often want to participate in after school activities like piano lessons or ballet or they may join the football team. In these cases, both parents typically contribute to these s, even if one is paying child support.
Medical expenses
Parents need to decide which one will carry the children on their health insurance, which the can be determined with child support payments. Though, out-of-pocket medical expenses are unpredictable. Both parents, regardless of child support payment arrangements, share the s.
Give Shaffer Law Family a call today!
The best thing to do is to formulate a childcare plan long before these expenses inevitably arise. Life can be a little easier for everyone when you agree to what share of the s each parent will pay and how to resolve differences of opinions when it comes to the expenses. For guidance through the process, give our Chandler attorneys a call today at (480) 470-3030 .