Louisianans who have children know that being a parent can be great, but it can also be expensive. When parents divorce from one another, or when a child is born out of wedlock and parents are not together, covering costs related to raising a child can become a contentious issue. Child support agreements seek to settle these disputes and provide clarity. However, some parents may wish to learn more about child support in their state.
The first thing to understand is what, exactly, does child support cover. This can vary from state-to-state. However, all states require child support to help cover basic necessities. This includes food, clothing and shelter. New shoes, groceries and even the mortgage and utility bills can be included here. Additionally, child support might be ordered to address a child’s medical care. This typically includes insuring the child and paying a portion of uninsured medical expenses.
There are many other costs associated with raising a child that may come into play when crafting a child support agreement or when seeking an order from the court. Educational expenses, such as textbooks, lunches, tuition and uniforms, may be addressed here. Other expenses might include child care, transportation, entertainment, extracurricular and sometimes even college expenses.
The exact amount of child support enacted will depend on several factors, including the child’s needs and the custodial parent’s financial resources. It is worth noting that custodial parents do not have to prove that child support is used for certain expenses. This is an assumption that the court makes. Those who want to seek child support, defend against such an order or wish to modify an existing order should consider speaking with their family law attorney, as this post cannot serve as the basis for any child support order or modification therefrom.
Source: FindLaw, “What Does Child Support Cover?” accessed on May 13, 2016
