Are there rules about how a person can spend child support money?
Is the money just given to them? Like, does the payer just give them a check and the money goes into the person's bank account?
Technically, couldn't a person collecting child support from two people get like 80,000 dollars a year plus their income?

There are no set rules as to just how the money is to be spent. I know that's pathetic but there are no rules set in stone. As for your other hypothetical question, yes, provided a Judge has ordered such payments to the person collecting child support for children.

Child support is supposed to be used to pay for the child's needs. But there are no rules that say the custodial parent has to keep the money separate and account for its use.

On the other hand, if the child's needs are not being met the NCP may be able to go to court over it.

As for the amount the CP is getting as long as the court is aware its fine.

Thanks guys. I was just wondering because while it seems like a person getting child support from 2 or 3 other people would be living the easy life, there seems to be a sort of stereotype around them that puts them as poor and barely scraping by. So I didn't understand that.

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Originally Posted by doctorhorrible

thanks guys. I was just wondering because while it seems like a person getting child support from 2 or 3 other people would be living the easy life, there seems to be a sort of stereotype around them that puts them as poor and barely scraping by. So I didn't understand that.

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What you might not understand is how child support is treated. Since its niether duductable by the person paying it nor included as income to the person receiving it. They could be at the poverty line as far as wages goes and live in a mansion from the child support.

Ok, here in Indiana there are rules as to how the support is to be spent. However, a judge does not generally make the cp account for it unless there is cause for it. But in my state yes there are rules and they can be enforced. However, it can be spent on many things. It can be used to cover the cost of the child's food, shelter, clothing, toys, school, medicine, anything that has to do with the child. Second, the child support is calculated according to each states formula for child support. So, if the ncp's are making good money then the cp's will get more support. That isn't really a bad thing though because wouldn't you want your child to have the best you could give them? So, while it isn't taxed is is counted as income for government assistance programs. That way (depending on the state) the state will either get paid back or the amount of support they give the cp will be less.

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Originally Posted by stinawords

Ok, here in Indiana there are rules as to how the support is to be spent. However, a judge does not generally make the cp account for it unless there is cause for it. But in my state yes there are rules and they can be enforced. However, it can be spent on many things. It can be used to cover the cost of the child's food, shelter, clothing, toys, school, medicine, anything that has to do with the child. Second, the child support is calculated according to each states formula for child support. So, if the ncp's are making good money then the cp's will get more support. That isn't really a bad thing though because wouldn't you want your child to have the best you could give them? So, while it isn't taxed is is counted as income for government assistance programs. That way (depending on the state) the state will either get paid back or the amount of support they give the cp will be less.

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Can you maybe post a link to the "rules" because Ive never seen anything in writing other then wide open statements. As the OP has stated lets say a woman has 3 children from different fathers and they were all doctors. She could live the good life from the support she would collect and not even have to work.

Well depending that some child support is 100 a month, and that so much of child support is never paid,

But raising children can be costly. So even a dad paying a mom 400 or 500 a month does not leave them rich