When children are involved, a divorce can become more complicated than typical divorces and separations. Every average household allocates a sizable portion of its budget to child care. Even in households with two incomes, the cost of subpar child care is a financial burden. Once a couple separates, it is difficult to imagine how one will adjust to child care costs on a single income. However, with the correct California family law attorney by your side, you and your spouse can split the cost of child care.
Understanding the Difference Between “Childcare” & “Child Support”
Before embarking on the journey of being a single parent, and adjusting to being a single parent after separation or divorce with your ex, it can help make things simpler for you if you understand the core concept of some useful terms related to your case.
What is Child support?
A child support is a series of payments made by the non-custodial parent to the custodial parent to cover all the child’s everyday expenses including personal care, education, medical, food, shelter. A non-custodial parent is the one with whom the child spends less time compared to the custodial parent who the child spends most of the time with.
What is Child Care?
Childcare is the physical care provided to the child in the absence of the parents, such as parents dropping off their children at daycare or preschool. Many daycare besides taking care of the food and diapers of your baby, also offer activities that may enhance the cognitive skills of your child, that may help them getting into kindergarten and help them in the long term.
How is the cost of child care divided between the spouses?
Even though for the non-custodial parent it may only seem fair for each parent to bear their child’s expense during the time they spend with their child. But the court however sees this differently, the court considers both parents to be equally responsible for their child and so both of them should collectively bear the child care expenses.
The court expects both parents to be employed, and take their employment as a responsibility to look after their child. While announcing the child support, the court divides the cost of child care between both parents, based on the amount of money they make. The spouse that makes more money will obviously be paying a larger share of the child’s care expense, even if they don’t use that childcare’s service directly.
Why Should You Hire California Family Law Attorney?
Having a reliable family law attorney by your side can help you make informed decisions regarding managing your child’s expenses after separation or divorce with your ex spouse. You can either reach a mutual agreement with your co-parent about paying for childcare expenses or your spouse may simply feel that they are not responsible for the child as they don’t have the child’s custody, and thereby refuse to pay for the child at all.
Hiring a California family law attorney can help you in a number of ways;
- Seeking a temporary child support order along with other order to cover your child’s expenses during the divorce proceedings
- Carefully calculate and determine a reasonable amount that will be enough to cover all the childcare costs.
- Calculate the future costs associated with your child’s upbringing
- Help you understand what is included in the child support and how will it can help you raise your child as a single parent
- Ensure there is a fair and equal division of child’s expenses between the spouses
- Get a order from the court stating how the expenses are expected to be divided between the two parents
- Help you file a petition with the court if you suspect that the other parent is unemployed on purpose to avoid paying for child support. Your attorney can request the court to either reduce the amount of child support or determine a specified termination date of the spousal support order.
Get In Touch With Us!
If you’re still up on the internet searching for the best California family law attorney, look no further than Hartley Lamas Et Al. Our highly experienced family law attorneys are here to help you win your child’s custody case, and ensure your rights as a father are well protected. Give us a call today.
