As part of a divorce, two parents will enter into an agreement regarding child custody and support. A child support agreement outlines exactly what each parent is expected to provide and typically requires the noncustodial parent to make payments to the custodial parent for the support of their kids.
This child support is paid to the custodial parent of the children, but it is for the children and cannot be spent on items that are unrelated to the needs of the kids. This money is intended to help with the costs of raising the children and should go towards expenses like housing, clothing, food and other basic needs. Additionally, child support may generally be applied toward expenses such as recreational activities or school sports.
Restrictions on expenses
What a custodial parent is not allowed to do is use this money for purposes outside of the support of the children. Custodial parents are not required to report on how exactly they spend the support payment, but if a noncustodial parent suspects that the support is being misused, he or she may notify a family court and request action to require the parent to allocate the funds appropriately.
This can be a difficult process, but an attorney may help you collect evidence that the other parent is using the money to pay for personal expenses, which may include vacations and other leisure activities that do not involve the kids at all.
If you are a parent and you suspect your former partner is misusing child support payments, contact the skilled family law attorneys at the Law Office of K. Dean Kantaras in Florida right away.