How Much Does Child Support Cover in NJ?
When two parents divorce, the court still wants both of them to support their children. That’s why, in most cases, the parent who gets primary custody will end up receiving child support payments from their ex. If you are the one receiving child support, you might be wondering exactly what and how much these payments can cover. Our Morristown child support attorneys can tell you more about what these payments are meant for and how you can modify your child support agreement if your circumstances change.
What Is Child Support Meant to Cover?
Simply put, child support is there to help cover any of the expenses that you’re sure to encounter when raising children. These payments should help out with:
The basics: Every child needs food, clothing, and a roof over their head. Your support should help cover costs like utilities and rent.
Medical needs: This can mean paying co-pays for appointments and helping with insurance premiums. Child support should also help with any uninsured medical costs, like those that add up before a health plan’s deductible is reached.
Education: Child support can help cover the cost of school supplies and any other educational expenses, like tuition fees or extra money for field trips.
Of course, your child’s needs may change over time. That’s when it may be necessary to talk about adjusting the terms of the agreement. If your child has new medical needs or enrolls in activities that cost money, both parents should contribute to such expenses.
Can Child Support Help Cover the Cost of Braces?
One tricky matter can be braces. The key is whether they are medically necessary or cosmetic. If they are a medical necessity, then child support can help cover the expense.
When big expenses like this come up, it may be necessary to modify a child support agreement. Fortunately, our lawyers can help you with that. So if your circumstances have changed and raising kids has gotten more expensive, it may be time to renegotiate how much your ex pays.
What If My Ex is Late With Payments?
Since these child support payments help cover your children’s expenses, it can be tough to deal with an ex who has a habit of sending over money later than they should. If this is a frequent issue, you should first talk to your ex and let them know how their late payments are causing financial hardship for you and the kids.
If a conversation doesn’t move them, it may be time to get the court involved. A judge can threaten someone with penalties like contempt or the suspension of their driver’s license if they owe child support and do not pay it. This can help you get the money you need to cover your child’s expenses.
Contact Our Law Firm
If you want to learn more about how child support works or you need help negotiating a fair agreement with your ex, we want to hear from you. Contact Lazor Rantas, PC and schedule a consultation today.
