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What Are Child Support Payments

Child Support Payments

For the most part, non-custodial parents are required to make child support payments to the custodial parent of their children. A parent is allowed to use a child support payment for many things, and while opinions do vary, family courts agree that child support payments must be made, because each child has the right to be supported financially by each parent. Today, there are many spouses that are not granted alimony. However, a child support payment is something that is supposed to be given no matter what the circumstances of the marriage were.

A child support payment is meant to contribute to particular bills and expenses that the custodial parent has regarding any children that the couple has together; this can include rent, food, and clothing. Child support payments can also serve to help the child get an health care vary.

A non-custodial parent may be required to help pay for many things for their child. Child support payments might be higher if the child is in daycare, has special needs or goes to a private school. No child support payment amount is set in stone. Either parent may seek to modify the amount of the child support payment depending on a change in their circumstances.

If the parent continues to give the child money after the legal time period of making child support payments is over, that is entirely up to them. Many parents will try to help their children financially, whether or not they are forced to. These are no longer considered to be child support payments. A non-custodial parent may find themselves in legal trouble if they fail to make their child support payments. Even if the parents can agree on child support payments, they should submit their arrangement to the family court. That way, it will become a court order and legally binding.


Understanding the way that child support payments work can be complicated. An individual should understand that marriage has nothing to do with child support payments. Whether or not a couple is married or was ever married is irrelevant. The non-custodial parent will almost always be required to make child support payments anyway. The family courts agree that this rule is fair to every party involved, especially the child.

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