Is Daycare Included in Child Support in New Jersey?

If your partner is paying child support, you probably want to know exactly what those payments are meant to cover. If you’re a working parent, one chief concern is probably daycare costs. Fortunately, your child support arrangement can be calculated with these expenses in mind. Our Morris County, NJ child support attorneys can help you fight for a fair arrangement.

How Can You Make Sure That Daycare Costs Are Included in Child Support Calculations?

In New Jersey, a divorcing couple fills out child support worksheets that can give the court more information about their expenses and what kind of support agreement would be fair. The state wants both parents to contribute here, so the payments from the noncustodial parent really need to help with everything, including daycare expenses.

The costs of daycare would need to be included by the petitioning parent. In some cases, like ones where the child is already enrolled in a daycare program, this is relatively easy. Costs should be constant. If the child is not yet enrolled in a daycare program and there is not a definitive bill that the court can look at, this can cause complications.

How Can You Estimate Daycare Costs?

If your child is going to need some kind of daycare program, but you are not sure which one they will be enrolled in yet, you may need to estimate daycare costs using an objective source. The government publishes resources like the Consumer Expenditures Survey and nonprofit researchers will also sometimes publish information about childcare costs in each state.

These numbers might not end up being exactly what you end up paying for daycare costs, but you can at least begin to estimate your costs. This can make it easier for the court to come to a fair child support arrangement.

Can You Change a Child Support Agreement Later?

It is possible to modify a child support agreement later on. If the economic situation of either spouse drastically changes, for example, that might be an ideal time to revisit any existing child support or spousal support agreements.

Sometimes people want to revisit a child support agreement after the need for daycare ends. This may not be necessary though. As children get older, they may enroll in activities or sports leagues. These can cost money, and what was spent on daycare before could now be spent on the child’s new passions and hobbies.

Contact Our Law Firm

It is important to have someone advocating for you and fighting for you and your child’s interests when going through a divorce. So contact Townsend, Tomaio & Newmark and schedule an appointment with our team to learn more about how our attorneys can be of assistance. We will help you fight for the best possible outcomes and settlements in your divorce case.