If your divorce involves child support payments, you will probably have many questions about how to proceed with making payments, how often you have to pay, and what the money might go toward. It is common to feel some degree of anxiety over these questions as your divorce becomes finalized, and there are a few questions you can ask your attorney to help set your mind at ease.
- Does My Ex Have to Record Spending?
In most cases, those who receive child support money do not have to keep a record of how it is spent. Because costs can range from medical care to educational needs to clothing and food, courts typically do not have the time or funding to require such careful tracking. If you believe child support payments are not being spent on your children, you can ask the courts for a motion of accounting to ensure your kids are benefitting from the money.
- Should I Use Cash?
While there is no one court-mandated process for making child support payments, tracking payments can help you provide proof to the courts that you are making payments regularly. If you do decide to use cash, ask your ex-spouse to sign and verify written receipts so you can provide proof of payments when asked. Overall, it would be a good idea to use checks or money orders so you have official receipts of your child support payments.
- Can I Legally Demand Receipts?
Your local court may allow for a financial review of your ex’s spending if you believe your payments are not being spent for the well-being of your children. This may be especially true if your kids are older and tell you that they are not receiving money for necessities such as clothing or educational supplies. You may want to speak to your ex-spouse before asking the courts to intercede.
- What if My Ex Asks for More Money?
Your ex may petition the courts for additional child support if you experience an increase in wages or if your children’s circumstances change. For example, if one of your kids becomes disabled, your child support payments may increase to cover the costs of medications and medical treatments that are not paid for by insurance. If you are financially unable to meet the cost of increased payments, you may have to provide proof of hardship to the court.
It can be difficult to know exactly how your ex-spouse spends your child support payments, but there are ways to ensure your children are being cared for. Speak to a child support lawyer, like a child support lawyer from the Law Office of Daniel J Wright, today for further assistance.