New Jersey parents are very aware that raising a child today can be very expensive. Child support payments are intended to help mitigate the costs after a divorce, but there are limits to what the payments can be used for. Parents who are receiving child support should be mindful that certain services, activities or goods they may consider essential for the upbringing of their children may be considered as optional by the court.
Paying for private school with child support
For many New Jersey parents, private school attendance seems like a must so that they can ensure their children will have better starts in their lives. When a couple divorces, it may be very difficult for the custodial parent to afford to pay for private school tuition alone, however. Some custodial parents ask the family court to order the other parent to pay costs towards private school tuition in addition to regular child support.
Stevie J. owes $1.1 million in back child support
Many New Jersey parents have to deal with child support issues. The amounts in question may be different, but it is one of the few aspects of divorce or separation that most families can relate to. Stevie J., a musician and actor, is currently facing a lawsuit because of the amount of unpaid child support that he owes.
Child support payments and tax consequences
Child support often goes unpaid. In 2013, $22.5 billion was received out of a total of almost $33 billion owed around the country. A New Jersey parent who pays child support cannot deduct those amounts for federal income tax purposes, and child support is not considered taxable income for the recipient. It is normally the custodial parent who is permitted to take the dependent tax exemption even if the other parent supplies the bulk of the financial support for the child.
Jurisdiction issues in child support modifications
Child support orders issued in New Jersey are subject to potential modification when a change in circumstances occurs. A common change in circumstances prompting a petition for modification of a child support order is a change in the financial situation of a parent, particularly the parent who is paying child support.
Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner divorce highlights co-parenting
Divorcing couples in New Jersey could take some cues from the largely drama-free divorce of actors Ben Affleck, 42, and Jennifer Garner, 43. Although celebrity divorces tend to be headline-grabbing disputes, the Affleck and Garner split illustrates how some spouses quietly choose to end a marriage and go forward as parents.
Reexamining child support in New Jersey
In 2011, fathers who owed child support to the child's mother paid only an average of 61 percent of what was ordered. However, this does not always mean that those who didn't pay the full amount were deadbeats. Instead, a recent study shows that fathers in New Jersey and around the country who are cash poor try to help out in other ways such as buying diapers or paying educational expenses. These contributions average about $60 per month, according to the researchers.
Attitudes regarding child support
In many cases, divorcing parents in New Jersey and around the country who are not awarded primary custody of their child may be ordered to pay child support as part of the divorce decree. In some states, the amount awarded is determined by established guidelines that only look at the noncustodial parent's income. Many paying parents often do not believe this system to be fair.
Idaho passes child support treaty on second try
The Idaho legislature has finally approved a bill that contained provisions ratifying a proposed international child support treaty, after previously rejecting the bill for fear that it would force Idaho courts to recognize Muslim-based Shariah law. New Jersey parents will have a better chance to collect child support from a parent who is living in another country after Idaho's action.
Poor men disproportionately jailed for failure to pay support
The government continues to develop tools to motivate parents to pay court-ordered child support. These tools include administrative actions such as tax refund intercepts and wage garnishment. In New Jersey and elsewhere, some judges are turning to the threat of imprisonment as motivation to pay child support.
