What Issues To Include In Determining Child Support Orders

It can be quite complex to cope up with the various major decisions to be made in consultation with your former spouse after your divorce. Some of these could be how to divide the expenses of your children, getting adjusted to a new living condition and visitation arrangements. Things could get messy sometimes. The calculation for the base child support is usually done according to the guidelines laid down by the state where you are residing. It is on the basis of these guidelines that parents need to come to an arrangement on how the child related expenses should be split between both of them. Though it may appear that the allocation of payment responsibilities are simple and fast as far as child related expenses are concerned, certain topics may get overlooked during the planning phase. It makes sense to plan for the future of your child as many expenses come later in their lives.

Costs related to child care and summer activities

The child support payments that you are likely to receive from your ex may not cover expenses related to childcare. So, both the parents should address and manage these costs all through the year. There are several after school childcare or daycare facilities that bill only to one parent. So, both the parents need to share such expenses. You need to keep track of these monthly fees by maintaining proper records so that the shared costs can be managed in a better manner.

Equal division of medical expenses

Many people do not realize that medical expenses can come up from unexpected quarters and so it is imperative that you have a comprehensive payment plan so that conflict with your former spouse can be avoided as much as possible. This plan should include the ways in which your ex and you will handle insurance. It should also outline who will be responsible for paying the premiums. While these minor expenses may seem insignificant initially, when one of the parents has to pay most of them, conflicts and arguments are unavoidable. Medical payments and records are. Racial for the parents so that they can track the payments made. Additionally, there could be certain unexpected incidents that are not planned by the divorced parents. These events may include a fresh prescription, sick days, which could be accompanied by extra costs or emergency situations.

Costs for the present and future education of your children

Both the current as well as future plans for your children’s education should be included in the financial discussion that you have with the other parent.

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Gerald A. Maggio is an experienced Orange County divorce and family law attorney and family law attorney located in Irvine, California, serving the Orange County and Riverside areas. Mr. Maggio assists clients with legal issues including divorce, legal separation, divorce mediation, child custody, prenuptial agreements, stepparent adoptions, and other family law issues. Mr. Maggio has practiced law in California since 1999, and founded The Maggio Law Firm in 2005, focusing exclusively on divorce and family law matters.