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In North Carolina, both parents are required to provide their children with basic necessities, even when they get divorced or separated. To ensure every child is protected after their parents split up, child support is often ordered. While both parents must provide for their child, in most cases it’s only the non-custodial parent that will be required to pay child support.
Understanding Child Support
The parent who the child predominantly lives with is also responsible for taking care of the child. However, the law doesn’t mandate him or her to show proof of that support through cash payments. It assumes that the parent spends the stipulated amount to cater for the needs of the child.
In normal circumstances, the two parents are supposed to take care of the child until he or she turns 18, meaning child support typically lasts until the child is at this age. However, certain situations, like a parent not paying child support, could extend the time that the non-custodial parent pays support.
What is Child Support Supposed to be Spent On?
The amount of child support basically depends on various factors such as the number of children that need support, the custody arrangement, and the income levels of both parents. This money is used to cover a variety of basic necessities.
Child support payments can be used for:
Food
Clothing
Other basic necessities
Medical care
Transportation
Shelter
Educational needs
When determining child support, the court will need to know what all the financial obligations are for the child. This will help them determine the amount required to sufficiently care for the child.
Although all potential financial needs are accounted for when determining support amounts, the non-custodial parent is not solely responsible for all of these costs. Due to this, the court will need to know each parent’s income in order to calculate how much money the non-custodial parent will need to pay.
Have questions about paying or receiving child support? Call Rech Law, P.C. today at (704) 659-0007 to speak to our Charlotte child support attorneys about your case.