What Expenses Are Covered By Child Support?

In New Jersey, parents have a legal obligation to support their children financially. As a result, child support is often paid to the custodial parent by the non-custodial parent. The custodial parent is the parent with whom the child resides the majority of the time. Because this parent spends more time with the child, he or she generally spends more on food, shelter, clothing etc. Child support is meant to help the custodial parent with these payments. If you are getting divorced, you may be wondering what expenses will be covered by child support. Read on for more information.

What Does Child Support Cover?

Child support is designed to help pay for a child’s everyday needs. These needs may include:

• Basic necessities
  • This applies to groceries, snacks, and meals. It also applies to clothing, though not all clothing will be covered. Some courts do not consider certain sneakers to be necessities. Additionally, some child support agreements include shelter, which may apply to mortgage/rent payments, electricity, and more.
• Medical care
  • Child support should be put toward any medical bills for the child.
  • The parent who has better health care benefits will generally put the child on his or her plan.
• Educational fees
  • Education is expensive. A parent may be required to contribute tuition at a private school or pay some of the various fees and expenses associated with public school. Educational fees also refer to school uniforms, lunches, textbooks, and so on.
• Childcare
  • If one or both parents are unable to watch the child due to work, the child may require daycare services, after-school care, babysitters, etc.
• Transportation/travel
  • Transportation is a necessary day-to-day expense. Child support may go toward car payments, gas, bus tickets, and so on.
• Entertainment
  • Child support should go toward entertainment for the child. Entertainment generally refers to things like games, computer access, etc. This also applies to outings, such as a trip to the movies or an amusement park.
• Extracurricular activities
  • Many children participate in activities like sports or girl/boy scouts. These activities often carry various fees.
• College expenses
  • Often, parents are required to contribute to their child’s higher education, even if the child is past the age of emancipation. If you have questions regarding New Jersey’s age of emancipation, reach out to a family law attorney.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding your child support agreement and what expenses will be covered, reach out to a family law attorney today. Our firm is here to advocate for you and walk you through all of your family law matters.

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