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Speak Up! - View Question #160 |
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Question: Is it legal for a parent receiving child support to spend it all on bills and not set up any kind of account for the child?
Answer: Child support is an award to a custodial parent, not to a child. It is designed to allow the custodial parent to maintain the child in the home. Given that, the custodial parent may use support money in any way. That includes the ability to use the support money to pay household bills. The money can be used for rent payments, for example, as that provides the child a place to live. The money can be used for groceries, medical bills, and any other expenses incurred by the custodial parent, even expenses not necessarily related to support of the child. No account need be set up for the child, as the money does not belong to the child.
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| 1 thru 5 of 9 comments |
On 05/19/08
Tara from CA said:
I think a lot of children/teenagers need to take a look at their parent's bills and take a trip to the grocery store and see how much stuff really costs. In most situations the child support doesn't cover all of the basics and they will be surprised that there really isn't a lot of money left for 'extras'. Also, the child support isn't the child's money, its for the parent to care for them, and as long as their needs are met, then that money IS being used correctly. It isn't about which dollar bill is being used for what, its about the total amount at the end of the month.
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On 02/16/05
adriana from CT said:
i think mothers especially the ones on county support ... spend child support on them selves to look hot and leave the kids with what is left over.. from experience ... my mother left my father when i was 10 .. he was a good father and provider... my mother then got on walfare and rec monthly checks... got a bofriend and would spend the money .. after a while my father did not come around ... you know why .. cause of my mother..so a mother makes a father not want to pay support ... bottom line ,,
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On 02/12/04
Jasmine from AR said:
I so agree with you. I am a single mother of a three year old. The child support helps but it really doesn't go far enough.. I just wish these kids would look and realize what their parents really do for them. I know now, I was once a only child who got everything that I wanted. I want the same for my son, but there are limits, you have to know that we work hard to give you all what you do have.. There will be time for the extras but it might not come every month when the check does come in.
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On 12/27/03
Samantha from NC said:
I guess you need to get a full time job and help your mom put a roof over your head and food on the table. You need to remember that it is not cheap to raise children. In addition to a home and food there are clothes to consider, school trips, medical bills, utilities, etc... You need to grow up and consider that there is more to budgeting money than your little desires. If you want a college fund so bad, work on getting straight A's in school and get a part-time job to put your own money back for school. My husband and I both paid our way through school by ourselves. Our poor mothers we
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On 10/03/03
Laura from OR said:
Also my stepfather and I do not get along, and my dad was paying child support to my mom. She kept kicking me out and would still recieve the child support. She would not give me any of the child support for lunch at school and it got so bad that i had to drop out of school to get a job so i could support myself. But now i live with my dad and made sure my mom is no longer getting the child support.
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