I need opinions please

Keg Party · Post by **Keg Party** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 10:36 am

OK, here is the deal.
I'm divorced, we have a kid together. I give her a nice sum of money per month for child support AND I also see my kid half the year.
My ex recently asked me to go in half on our kids school lunches. Is this something that is normally covered in child support? There are no special provisions for this in our decree like other things..major medical, sports we half the cost.

What do you guys think? Am I obligated to pay this on top of the child support?

Brk · Post by **Brk** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 10:38 am

Might wanna speak to a LAWYER.

Dan · Post by **Dan** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 10:40 am

Keg Party wrote:OK, here is the deal.
I'm divorced, we have a kid together. I give her a nice sum of money per month for child support AND I also see my kid half the year.
My ex recently asked me to go in half on our kids school lunches. Is this something that is normally covered in child support? There are no special provisions for this in our decree like other things..major medical, sports we half the cost.

What do you guys think? Am I obligated to pay this on top of the child support?

I would say no,she can pay the lunch fees out of your monthly support.

kind of like my divorce,I pay for the monthly health ins for my kids,but she pays for the co-pay office visits,fair? I don't know,but it is what it is.

Comtrad · Post by **Comtrad** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 10:44 am

Yeah, child support covers all that crap.

Keg Party · Post by **Keg Party** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 10:48 am

Burke wrote:Might wanna speak to a LAWYER.

Nah, he charges way too much.
Plus I have the decree right in front of me.
Logically this is something that is covered up the support I give her...that just makes sense.

Gixxer · Post by **Gixxer** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 10:49 am

Keg Party wrote:OK, here is the deal.
I'm divorced, we have a kid together. I give her a nice sum of money per month for child support AND I also see my kid half the year.
My ex recently asked me to go in half on our kids school lunches. Is this something that is normally covered in child support? There are no special provisions for this in our decree like other things..major medical, sports we half the cost.

What do you guys think? Am I obligated to pay this on top of the child support?

if it's not in the divorce decree, then all you have to pay is support

Dan · Post by **Dan** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 10:51 am

Gixxer wrote:if it's not in the divorce decree, then all you have to pay is support

Mrs RoundEye · Post by **Mrs RoundEye** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 10:56 am

All states are different you can always call the Attorney that did your Divorce. I work to an attorney and usually little thing like lunches are included in the support fees. Read your Consent Judgment that usually specifies what your responsible for.

If you wanted to help out and didn’t want to give her the money directly you could always pay the school (just an option).

Good luck

What state do you live in.

tHE_0ne · Post by **tHE_0ne** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 11:09 am

doesnt child support cover food and any expensives the child needs? I would think so, I would tell her no.

Keg Party · Post by **Keg Party** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 12:53 pm

Don't get me wrong it's not that I don't want to help if it's needed, but I give her a child support payment that IMO is enough..especially since I take care of him 1/2 of the year.

thanks

Spammy · Post by **Spammy** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 1:00 pm

Take it from someone who is in the same situation.
Child Support covers it all. I usually still assist.

Gixxer · Post by **Gixxer** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 1:19 pm

Spammy wrote: Child Support covers it all. I usually still assist.

dont do it, its a trick

Spammy · Post by **Spammy** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 1:22 pm

Gixxer wrote:dont do it, its a trick

Yeah but do not want to take the chance of my kid going with out.

Bastid · Post by **Bastid** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 7:16 pm

Spammy wrote:Yeah but do not want to take the chance of my kid going with out.

maybe the mom should be the one "going without"

MissTynker2 · Post by **MissTynker2** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 7:31 pm

Keg Party wrote:Don't get me wrong it's not that I don't want to help if it's needed, but I give her a child support payment that IMO is enough..especially since I take care of him 1/2 of the year.

thanks

The question I have, is, if you are in physical custody of the child six months of the year, and she has the same, why is there a child support issue at all? Medical insurance, I could understand and appreciate, Extra goodies for special occassions, yes, the rest is very questionalbe in my eyes. Split custody...split support. In answer however to your question however, to get back on track here is no...food is part of what that child support covers.

Debbie · Post by **Debbie** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 7:36 pm

You will have to draw the line somewhere. The more you say yes to the extra perks, the more she will expect it from you. It is covered in the support. She has to learn how to use it wisely.

downhill · Post by **downhill** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 7:38 pm

MissTynker2 wrote:The question I have, is, if you are in physical custody of the child six months of the year, and she has the same, why is there a child support issue at all? Medical insurance, I could understand and appreciate, Extra goodies for special occassions, yes, the rest is very questionalbe in my eyes. Split custody...split support. In answer however to your question however, to get back on track here is no...food is part of what that child support covers.

Probably because the courts expect the child to live under a roof.

CableDude · Post by **CableDude** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 7:40 pm

I'm going to say good luck and hope it all works out.

JC · Post by JC » Thu Aug 09, 2007 8:20 pm

Here is an Idea!! Why doesn't she just make the Childs lunch everyday before school. That's what I did. School lunch kinda sucked acording to my kids.

RoundEye · Post by **RoundEye** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 10:54 pm

MissTynker2 wrote: ....Split custody...split support...

That's how it is in Louisiana. If the child stays with the mom half the year, the dad pays support half the year. Also, if the mother has sufficient income, she would have to pay child support when the kid is with the father, depending on his income.

Spousal support payments (alimony) would have to be paid regardless of where the child lives.

MissTynker2 · Post by **MissTynker2** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 11:07 pm

downhill wrote:Probably because the courts expect the child to live under a roof.

I would expect that as well, however, I also suspect there are 2 roofs, in two seperate areas involved...12 months a year, or the child would only be under one permanently.

RoundEye · Post by **RoundEye** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 11:10 pm

Let me just add that a 50/50 split on the child’s living arrangements are very rare here too. To keep from pulling the kid out of school mid-year, usually one parent will have custody for the school year and the other parent has custody during the summer and every other weekend.

Here’s another thing that’s hard to explain, hurricane Katrina caused a huge spike in the divorce rate here. If a parent moves more then a 150 miles away they can lose shared custody of the child. Many families left the state and some people didn’t want to come back. If one parent refuses to move back, the court can order the parent to move back since the child was born here and the family left during a mandatory evacuation. If the parent refuses to move back, they can lose custody and any rights to child support. It’s really a sticky situation and handled on a case by case basis.

Ken · Post by **Ken** » Fri Aug 10, 2007 1:11 pm

Keg Party wrote:OK, here is the deal.
I'm divorced, we have a kid together. I give her a nice sum of money per month for child support AND I also see my kid half the year.
My ex recently asked me to go in half on our kids school lunches. Is this something that is normally covered in child support? There are no special provisions for this in our decree like other things..major medical, sports we half the cost.

What do you guys think? Am I obligated to pay this on top of the child support?

I haven't read the thread, so I am merely going to give you my thoughts...

Anything that I can do to help better my kid, I do, with-out a doubt...

I do not know the details of your divorce, however, if she needs help paying for your child's lunches... Of course, that doesn't necessarily mean to hand her cash. Go to the school and inquire about paying for his lunches directly to the school and in advance...

Keep in mind that you are his father and he is your responsibility, no matter what else is in play, he is your responsibility, forever... It doesn't matter what the lawyers say, ...food, clothes, shelter, medicine, whatever...

Any regrets will be on her, later in life when she has the time to think about it...
JMH 0.03 centavos...

knightmare · Post by **knightmare** » Fri Aug 10, 2007 5:06 pm

You are already going above your required expenses.......

Spammy · Post by **Spammy** » Fri Aug 10, 2007 5:09 pm

Bastid wrote:maybe the mom should be the one "going without"