Receiving Child Support, but What About Other Expenses?
Orange County, California: I have sole physical custody of my two boys and receive about a week for child support from the boys’ mother. However, I have paid for ALL of the general expenses throughout the year (sports regisration and fees, dentist bills, haircuts, clothes, etc). These expenses are now in the thousands of dollars and I think that their mother should help pay for at least some of this cost.
What is the best way to handle this, other than hiring a divorce attorney? How can I get her to start paying for some of these expenses?
Thanks!
7 Responses
George McCasland
07 Feb 2010
Iceman
07 Feb 2010
you can’t *make* her pay more then what the court told her to pay, Maybe if you give her more options with the boys in return if she helps in paying some expenses.
If she is a mother at all, she would still want to be apart of her sons’ lives therefore willing to cough up some more money as long as you could probably let her see them more or whatever you come up with in return for the extra help from her.
Arthur W
07 Feb 2010
You can always try and ask her but I serfiously think it wont help here. You may end eating these costs as unless she has come into a huge increase in her income, a support remodification hearing wont do you much good as the courts cant make her pay more if she doesnt have it. So your best bet is to try working out something with her, no matter how small she can help with may help a little. Good luck
Toxicpanduh #2
07 Feb 2010
That is it, unless there was an alternative child support agreement in regards to healthcare, dental etc. costs. You might try to modify the current child support agreement, especially if she now makes more money (Court action).
jackrabbit_s
07 Feb 2010
If you won’t use the court system to get financial assistance for the children from your wife, then you deserve the screwing you’re getting. If the situation was reversed you be paying all kinds of legal bills and child support expenses.
Ender Wiggins
07 Feb 2010
start living with in your means
Garnet Glitter
07 Feb 2010
If the courts did not order her to pay a portion of it, then you can’t make her pay anything but her child support…you would have to go back to Family Court and petition the Courts for her to share in medical/dental bills.
The 60 a week is supposed to go to food, clothing, shoes, school supplies, haircuts, etc….
I understand..I used to get 55 a week per each of two kids….can’t even feed a kid on 55 a week.
Lived in NY…aint cheap to live there, either.
You just have to suck it up….the custodial parent ALWAYS gets hit with bulk of child rearing expenses, as unfair as that is…that is what I had to do.
…of course if you ask the non custodial parent, they insist they pay way too MUCH…..
yeah, riiiiiight.
First, I need to compliment you on getting any child support from a mother. Only 7 out of 1000 non-custodial mothers pay.
You need to do a child support modification, which can be done Pro Se, but when you’re talking about extra items like this, it gets a little complicated. Have you talked to Child Support Enforcement about these and what the court may consider in a modification? Remember, the difference in the payment must be at least 20% in order to be considered a Change of Circumstance. But, as you know, CSE is not always very accommodating to fathers who receive child support, so you may need to take a woman along to actual ask the questions. Take notes.
I have some members in California at Dads House in Yahoo Groups who you might ask. There’s no cost to join.
http://dads-house.org/
Check with this company about doing a Pro Se filing. They have free initial counseling. So far what I’ve heard about them is good, so let me know if they were helpful or not.
http://www.helpyourselfdivorce.com/
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