When parents go through a divorce, the children’s needs don’t simply vanish. Instead, the parents will have to determine how they can still financially support the children even though they ended their marriage.
When children are part of a divorce, the court will typically order child support to be paid. This is a court-ordered amount that’s given to the custodial parent. The money is often comingled with household finances, but it should be used on the children.
What can child support pay for?
Child support is meant to take care of the child’s financial needs, but that doesn’t automatically mean that the money has to be spent directly on the children. Child support can go toward paying the mortgage or rent. It can pay for gas for a vehicle, a vehicle payment, utilities, food, or anything else that the children need to live the life that they’re used to. Of course, custodial parents can also use child support to pay for things like clothes and toiletries that go directly to the child.
Can child support orders ever be changed?
In Connecticut, child support guidelines determine the amount of support owed. These guidelines are based primarily on the income of both parents and the number of children receiving support.
These orders often involve more than just monetary values. In many cases, one parent is required to carry health insurance if it’s reasonably available. There may also be stipulations that uninsured medical expenses are shared between the parents.
Child support orders aren’t necessarily permanent. It’s possible to receive a modification if there’s a substantial change in circumstances. Some examples of this include significant changes in income or employment status. The adjustments are not automatic; there is a formal review necessary to change the order. Working with someone familiar with these matters may be beneficial for parents dealing with child support.
