How would you feel about a law requiring parents receiving child support to provide documentation of how it’s being spent?

SSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 14 Aug 2018 14:28:07 -0400

Response by CPT Jack Durish made Aug 14 at 2018 2:31 PM

CPT Jack Durish — Tue, 14 Aug 2018 14:31:05 -0400

A tempting idea but... When I worked at Social Security (the Baltimore Payment Center where we processed all claims for Disability Benefits) we spent most of our time attempting to insure that the government wasn't being cheated. It didn't take long for many of us to conclude that we would save money if we let the few dishonest ones cheat the government. I'm afraid that's what this proposal would cost

Response by SFC Harry H. made Aug 14 at 2018 2:31 PM

SFC Harry H. — Tue, 14 Aug 2018 14:31:20 -0400

I would say it was no ones business as long as the child was being taken care of.

Response by SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth made Aug 14 at 2018 2:40 PM

SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth — Tue, 14 Aug 2018 14:40:29 -0400

Sounds like a winner to me.

Response by SFC Kelly Fuerhoff made Aug 14 at 2018 2:43 PM

SFC Kelly Fuerhoff — Tue, 14 Aug 2018 14:43:37 -0400

This is consistently brought up and it's never going to happen.

Child support is not intended to go directly to the child. "The purpose of child support is to protect the child from the economic impact of divorce or separation. Therefore, child support should be used for both the basic necessities of the child, such as food, shelter, childcare, and education, as well as the additional things that the child enjoyed during the marriage."

Should parents use it as their own personal party line? No. But there are so many different reasons why people get divorced or break up and child support comes into play. What about cases of domestic violence? That gives the abuser one more way to control their victim.

My ex husband owes $18000 + in arrears for all four of his kids. None of us will see that money. Hell I paid his child support for a few years. First directly to his ex (which I told him was stupid) then to the state for a year. The year I paid to the state I paid $1170. Who knows how much I paid before that. He only has to pay $330 a month for four kids. He hasn't had a job in 2 years that was more than 2 weeks. His last two jobs were in October - then he got arrested for burglary and possession - which got lowered to trespassing and possession. Now he's pending another burglary from 2016 at his ex MIL's house. So I doubt any of us will see it. I should have waived it. He also has to pay me half of daycare and half unreimbursed medical. Her daycare is $800 a month - for the last 3 years. I know I won't see that. Or the few copays I have since she's been on Medicaid and TRICARE.

There would be no way to limit what a receiving parent spends child support on. It's just not going to happen.

Response by SSG Warren Swan made Aug 14 at 2018 2:48 PM

SSG Warren Swan — Tue, 14 Aug 2018 14:48:26 -0400

Personally I'd like it, but how could you justify that beyond PII, HIPPA, and any other federally mandated regulation? Also how would you get command teams to want to take additional time they don't have now to go over every single troop who is making those payments? Or the troop who is receiving them?
In the Army, we're kinda big on counseling to correct, maintain, and promote. If you're doing all those, AND get saddled with counseling on what is being spent vs what it's spent on, you may as well pull up a cot, have some "ready-made" counseling's with the Magic Bullet at the bottom and your coffee fresh and ready at all times.
If it's just a law that applies to the Nation, I'd like to see it, but now you've burdened the judicial system to the point where noting will get done quickly being the Judges would become the one doing the counseling on paper. Celebrities would LOVE this being who wants to be like Blake Griffin and pay $256k a month for two kids? Does it really cost that much to take care of any child (special needs are different).

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 14 at 2018 2:59 PM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 14 Aug 2018 14:59:40 -0400

Document with receipts to the paying spouse maybe. To the government would never work. Heard parents complain their kids don’t have school clothes but the other parent claims to spend property. Always questioned how it could be proved, but probably to complicated.

Response by PO1 Don Gulizia made Aug 14 at 2018 3:19 PM

PO1 Don Gulizia — Tue, 14 Aug 2018 15:19:23 -0400

I think it's a dumb idea. Besides the easily recognized requirement of school clothes, shoes, backpacks, etc...do you really want to itemize toilet paper, laundry soap, rice, gasoline, toothpaste, stain remover, electricty, youth sports registration, fruit, bandaids, shampoo, internet access/wifi (because almost all homework is online, now), and the hundreds (probably thousands) of other things that kids need on a daily basis? Oh yeah, whoever is the primary caregiver will have to stay home full time just to document everything. So, you can add alimony to the list. There's a reason it's estimated that it costs $233,610 to raise a child. That's a little over a $1,000 a month per child.

Response by MSG Stan Hutchison made Aug 14 at 2018 8:49 PM

MSG Stan Hutchison — Tue, 14 Aug 2018 20:49:04 -0400

Is the child getting taken care of? Do they have what is needed? Then leave it alone. If there is grounds for insisting on an accounting, maybe so.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 15 at 2018 10:14 AM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 15 Aug 2018 10:14:32 -0400

Only after they acknowledge what I have already spent out of my own income for my children SSgt Private RallyPoint Member!!! My ex husband only has to pay $488 a month for two children because he works under the table to hide his income. Without complaint I spend over $2000 a month to provide my children with everything they need, food, clothes, staples, entertainment etc. I got maybe two payments from their father this year a lone.
I offered to drop Child Support if he was more active in his kids lives. But like his payments his presence is few and far between.
But to look at it from a State and county stand point, both parents are required to pay child support. The parent with the more custodial rights legally has to pay more for the child. And the parent with less custodial visitation doesn’t pay as much.
People don’t see it that way. But like I told my ex husband if I didn’t pay for all the bills to operate the House, food in the fridge and pantry, entertainment, clothes and transportation. Child services will come and take the kids from me for neglect of a child’s basic needs.
So no matter how you look at it, both parents are and should pay child support. And the one who has them the most, does pays the most.
An assent parents contribution is nothing compared to the active parents our take.

But the bottom line, make sure you chose your mate wisely! The world is full of fast talkers and lazy people! Just my two cents! Lol