As a divorced Florida parent receiving child support from your former spouse, you likely have nagging worries about how you can legitimately spend that money and who, if anyone, can take issue with the way you spend it. Fortunately for you, FindLaw explains that you can spend your child support money virtually however you want as long as those expenditures benefit your child in some way.
Naturally your child support money should go first and foremost for your child’s necessities such as food, clothing, housing, etc. But have you ever actually thought about what constitutes your child’s housing? If not, you may wish to consider using some of your child support money to pay your child’s share of the following:
- Your mortgage payment
- Your homeowner’s insurance policy premium
- Your utilities
- Your home repairs
Transportation expenses
Considering the fact that in all likelihood you provide your child with the transportation necessary to get him or her back and forth to school, extracurricular activities, social activities, etc., you also have the right to use some of your child support money to pay your child’s share of the following:
- Your car payment
- Your auto insurance policy premium
- Your auto repairs
- Your gas, oil and other routine upkeep expenses
Nonessentials
No one, least of all the court, expects you to limit your child support expenditures to your child’s basic necessities. It is perfectly fine for you to spend some of your child support money on his or her school supplies such as uniforms, activity fees, lunchroom fees, yearbook photos, a computer or anything else that students at his or her school require.
You can likewise feel free to spend some of your child support money making sure that your child has reasonable opportunity to go to the movies, on vacation and out for meals. And of course you can spend part of it on gifts for his or her birthday, Christmas and other holidays you celebrate.
This information is educational only and does not constitute legal advice.
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