What Does Child Support Cover?

In a divorce with children, you want to make sure the right child custody and parenting plan is in place and that there are sufficient financial resources to care for your children. This can lead to a lot of questions about how child support works, including “What does child support cover?”

Read on to learn more.

What Does Child Support Cover in Connecticut?

The basic child support payment is meant to cover the basics — including shelter, food, and clothes.

What Doesn’t Child Support Cover?

In addition to the basic child support payment, the Connecticut Child Support Guidelines provide a formula for parents to share costs related to uninsured or unreimbursed medical expenses and work-related daycare expenses. For many families, the costs of raising children exceed this. For example, support under the Child Support Guidelines doesn’t contemplate things like sports, extracurricular activities, summer camps, private school tuition, computers, cell phones, tutors, SAT prep, college application fees, or pocket money.

How Do Parents Handle All the Expenses Child Support Doesn’t Cover?

Many parents either an upwards deviation to child support to address all these costs, or come up with a way to share these costs. Sometimes parents reach a child support agreement via negotiation in litigation. Mediation and collaborative divorce also allow for creative solutions and plans to make sure that children’s needs are met.

Next Steps

For more information about Connecticut divorce and family law, check out our Divorce Information and Facts. If you have questions or want to learn more about how our team of divorce attorneys can help you with your divorce or Post Judgment issue, please contact us here.