It may be a relief to receive child support from your ex-spouse. However, he or she may say that you can only spend it on certain things, or even demand to see receipts on your child support expenditures. Your family and friends may also tell you that the state will monitor your child support spending. Like other Indiana residents, you may be confused and worried as to which of these claims are true.
FindLaw explains that child support is meant for your children’s physical and emotional needs. As such, you may choose to spend it on certain necessities, such as the following:
- Food, clothing and medicine
- Utilities, rent and household goods
- School supplies, tuition and extracurricular activities
- Doctors’ appointments and medical insurance premiums
- Savings for emergencies
Can I also spend child support on non-essentials, you may wonder? Since your children’s happiness is also important, you may decide the occasional movie ticket, restaurant meal or gift are appropriate expenditures.
Your obligations are to ensure your children’s basic needs are met, which child support can contribute a great deal toward. It may give you peace of mind to learn that you are not required to report your child support spending to your ex or the family law court. The topics of child support and child custody can be emotional and complex, especially when you and your ex-spouse have a difference in opinion. Therefore, the information in this post is meant to educate you, but it should not replace the advice of a lawyer.
