Paying child support can be frustrating. You lose a big chunk of your paycheck before it even hits your bank account. You may have to rework your budget just to keep your own bills paid. It’s especially frustrating if you’re concerned about what the recipient of child support uses those funds to cover — especially if you question how your ex spends that much or the care that they provide for your children. Are there limits or restrictions on the use of child support in California?
A parent can use child support for anything that benefits the child
If your ex is the primary custodial parent of your children, they have a number of responsibilities. They have to provide housing, clothing, food, educational supplies and health care when necessary. Then there are non-necessities, like entertainment, that are also important to a child’s happiness and well-being.
A parent who receives child support can legally use that money for anything they can reasonably show benefits the children. Credit card payments could all reflect the expenses related to caring for the children. It’s also possible that they will use the support they receive to offset money they’ve already paid toward the children by covering something else.
Typically, the parent who pays child support cannot make a demand for any sort of accounting regarding how the other parent spends it, nor can they place any limitations on the use of child support funds. However, if you have concerns about where your child support funds are being spent or you believe that you have a valid reason for changing your child support obligations, an experienced family law attorney can help you.