During a divorce case, it is crucial to ensure that the needs of a child are well taken care of. This is where child support comes in.
Notably, bringing up a child can be quite costly. That is why, to ensure that the needs of a child are always met after a divorce, the court may ask the non-custodial parent to pay child support.
The main purpose of child support is to ensure that the children of divorced parents continue to live normally, as they would have had before the divorce.
Child support may include:
Basic needs
Every child needs proper clothing, shelter and food. Therefore, at the very minimum, child support should cover snacks, groceries, beverages, other food items, rent or mortgage payments, utility bills and clothes.
The law generally assumes that the parent with custody uses her or his resources to cater for the child’s basic needs. That is why, in most cases, the court grants regular payments to the custodial parent, until the child reaches a certain age.
Medical expenses
The parent’s health insurance usually covers a minor’s medical needs. Therefore, this means that the parent with better employee health benefits may include her or his young ones in the policy.
However, there may be certain medical expenses not covered under the insurance policy. In such circumstances, child support comes in handy.
Education
Education is important for every child. Children attending both public and private schools have several educational needs that are not free. Child support may cover uniforms, books, stationery, tuition fees, lunch money, transportation, private tutors and any other educational needs.
Extracurricular activities
To learn new skills, improve their education, promote good behavior and more, parents encourage children to take part in various after-school activities and attend summer camps. Such activities are not always free or inexpensive, and child support may cover the necessary costs.
