[toddcandi]

I would like to know how child support works. My boyfriend pays child support, and I was wondering how these things were decided and if he still should be paying. Here's our situation

Mom and Dad have split custody and each take the child for the same amount of time. Every other week-so its even.

Dad makes more money than mom, he's not wealthy but does own his own business, where as she is a nurse.

But here's the thing that I believe would make it so that he doesn't have to pay childsupport- if the child ever needs anything he pays for it.
He pays for tutoring, he buys at least 80% of the child's clothers, and would buy 100% if he needed too. When it comes to after school activities, sports, summer camp, and anything else as such, Dad pays.
Really it makes me kind of wonder where all the child support money is going, I doubt that it's all spent on the child, I doubt it's spent on him much at all.

Mom often says she can't pay for this and that, but she seems to be able to do other things for herself. I'm not saying she's blowing off all her money but she never has offered to help pay for much when it comes to the child. We buy his shoes 90% of the time. Last summer he said that they had no more than some crackers to snack on, when I asked him if he had a snack for after swim lessons (which Dad paid for).

So my question is, should Dad really be paying child support every month? To me it seems like he shouldn't but I don't know how the state works these things out.

[Fr_Chuck]

Child support is for housing, food, electric, gas for car to drive child places.

Then in addition to child support the court order may order him to pay for school costs, medical costs and more.

He has to keep paying every penny the court order says, if he wishes to change what he pays, he needs to file in court to modify it.

[ScottGem]

Child support is awarded to the custodial parent as part of a divorce decree or custody settlement. Each state has its own rules and guidelines on how to calculate support.

What the father pays outside of support is immaterial to the discussion. It is his choice to provide for HIS child over an above what he is ordered by a court to pay.

If the father feels that the support award is unfair or inequitable, then he can go back to court and request a modification. Often, if there is a true 50/50 split in custody then the amount of support is negligible.