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Is child support cheaper than raising a child?

On Behalf of | Jan 25, 2015 | Child Support |

While many non-custodial parents relish the opportunity to pay child support, a number of people wonder what life would be like if they did not have to write an additional check (or have money directly taken from their paycheck). Indeed, while child support is supposed to be for the benefit of the child, it is a common complaint that these payments are used to help support the custodial parent’s standard of living.

For those who believe that child support payments are simply too high to justify their use, consider this; it is estimated that the average family will spend about $245,000 to raise a child to the age of 18. This comes out to about $13,611.00 per year. When considering that the average child support obligation is about $700.00 per month (or $8400.00 per year), which would you rather pay?

Indeed, there are a number of costs that are not covered under court ordered child support obligations. For instance, if your child wants to play little league baseball, and enrollment fees are $65.00 before the costs of uniforms, batting practice equipment and transportation costs; you may not be able to seek relief from the court if the other parent does not want to contribute to these costs. The same applies to the costs of Halloween costumes and Christmas presents.

So the next time you believe you may be treated unfairly when it comes to child support costs, consider the alternative. If you have questions about how child support is calculated, an experienced family law attorney can advise you. 

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