Child Support Payments

Child support payments are a mandantory part of every divorce case in the United States involving at least one minor child. Payments are meant to sustain the lifestyle of the child and ensure their needs are met by both parents. Several factors are evaluated to determine the amount of your child support payments. If you have multiple obligations for children from other relationships, your second and subsequent orders will take into consideration your responsibility to other children. While child support payments often seem excessive to the payor, the payee typically feels they do not receive nearly enough. This difference in opinion leads to bitterness, fighting, and anger between the parents which does not prove beneficial for the child. Remember, your child is experiencing pain from your separation, too. Watching the two people he cares about most turn into enemies who can't even be in the same room puts the child under immense stress. Your payments . . . amount, frequecny, the stress they may cause in your life, etc . . . should never be discussed with the minor child! As a parent, you have an ethical and legal responsibility to ensure your children have all of their basic needs met regardless of how your relationship with the other parent ended. This includes making timely child support payments even if you feel the money is not spent on your child or in ways that you deem appropriate.

The real question most parents facing divorce are asking is, "how much will my child support payments be?" The answer to that question is complicated to say the least. Each state has different guidelines for determining the payment amount. You can find your state's website by visiting the CSE Agencies page. Prior to the establishment of your court order, you must keep detailed and accurate records of any payments your make to the custodial parent. Never pay with cash! This leaves your with absolutely no proof of how much or how often you have paid. While in most states you will not have to pay any back child support for the period of time between your separation and the filing of the motion to establish a child support order, you should still consider making regular payments to the custodial parent. Not only does your child deserve your assistance, but this good-will gesture can go a long way in improving the relationship you have with your ex. Regardless of how you feel about child support and how much you must pay each month, the fact still remains you are going to be dealing with this person until your child is grown and self-sufficient. Taking little steps to create a working relationship with your ex can make your like much less stressful and open doors to negotiation. Even if you and your ex are "friends" and seemingly have a great co-parenting relationship, do not pay a single payment in cash and keep detailed records of all the money you spend on your child! Money has a way of changing people and relationships!