What else should I include for child support docs?

Family Law Support Forum
1

I’m back in court, again. My ex hasn’t provided any child support for the past six months, and my lawyer is having me gather documents of everything I’ve bought and paid for that directly supports my son. So far, I’ve listed school supplies, uniforms, tuition, sports equipment and fees, doctor visits, and annual dental/vision/health premiums. Am I missing anything? Thanks, kind internet strangers.

2

Don’t forget about medications and vitamins. You should also include stuff for bathing, hair products, toothpaste, and toothbrushes. Basically, every little thing that goes into taking care of your child.

3

Food and hygiene products are also super important. If your child has a phone, you might want to include the phone bill too. Also, think about housing expenses like rent, mortgage, and utilities.

4

You should definitely add the child’s portion of shared expenses too, like housing, electric bills, and yard care. Those costs add up.

5

Have you enrolled with the state for child support enforcement? They can help enforce it for free and you won’t have to gather all this documentation yourself.

6

Food is a big one. You might want to list that separately since it’s a consistent expense.

7

Also consider babysitting or after-school care. Shoes and non-school clothing are other things you should list. They might seem minor, but they add up.

8

Joy said:
Also consider babysitting or after-school care. Shoes and non-school clothing are other things you should list. They might seem minor, but they add up.

What do you mean by non-school clothing? Like casual wear?

9

@Freya
Yeah, exactly. Just the everyday clothes they wear outside of school. It’s part of keeping them comfortable.

10

Just remember that in situations like this, the state can enforce child support without you having to prove what you spent. It’s often based on income and how much each parent pays for healthcare and childcare.

11

@Alexis
Yeah, we’re already in court because he wants to modify parenting time. He had a chance at 50/50 but kept bringing our son late to school on his one day. So, he lost more time. I agreed he would pay $0 on paper but help with his share, which has been $3k annually except for the past six months.