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The number set for child support is based on percentage of income and number of children. So, the actual dollar amount doesn't necessarily give us enough information. And for those of you who think $200 a month is not much for one child, while it may not be much, it may be somewhat reasonable depending on where the OP lives. We all know that the cost of living is vastly different depending on what part of the country one lives in.
Take that SOB back to court and get every penny you can.
I'm sorry, but that is your CHILD'S MONEY. SHE is entitled to be taken care of, and tough if she is not with him all the time. Sounds like she should not be with him at all.
BUT - get a good attorney and get what your daughter has coming. She should not have to suffer in any way because her 'biological' father is a piece of poo.
Have no sympathy for him, do not waste another thought on it. I promise he is living it up - time for you guys to have a better life. $200.00 will barely get you through the grocery line for one week nowadays.
I was married for ten years. divorced and took him to court after 6 years of looking for him (by that time we were married for 16 years), fool that I was I had a good job and just asked for $100 a month per kid, we had 3, never got a nickel for any of them. Never a bd card, graduation gift, wedding gift, NOTHING. He has not seen or talked to his kids since 1978, could sit on a bus next to them and not know that they are his kids. So if he pays and pays regular, count your lucky stars, last time I went to court in late 80's the man owed me $$$$$, again, never saw a nickel.
child support is for necessary items, cars are not necessary for a 16 year old. Not sure why CS wouldn't be lowered if one of the kids graduated HS especially if they turned 18. Sorry, but my dad had to pay a lot of CS for my younger half brother that really hurt our family. The ex said half of it was set aside for college (my dad paid over 70,000 total in CS). My brother came to him for college money and when asked what happened to the "college fund" he was told that the money was gone. My dad didn't pay for any of us to go to college. Being a construction worker doesn't pay that well. This caused a big rift in the extended family for many years.
I agree that CS should be paid. I also think that good dads get killed by a court system that still believes only a mother can raise a child. A lot of those percentage calculators that the courts use don't take into account other financial responsibilities, such as other children when deciding amounts.
Actually child support doest take other children into account.
There are a lot of good Dads hurt in the court system, but there are SOOOO many Dead beats out there that pay next to nothing and screw their kids over it is discusting!
$200 is very low and not much help. I get for one child $714 monthly, plus insurance benefits. This order is over 8 years old. My ex loves our child and gives her more anytime he sees fit or when she requests it. I have not bothered with getting more $$$ because he and his new wife are so good with her, plus they allowed me to move out of state with our 16 year old daughter. Yes, he had to give permission before I moved.
we're in Oregon...
OMG....714.00 a month AND he pays insurance!!? wow!!!
AND he and his wife are good to her? I am SO envious!! We moved 5 hrs away and he fought that like mad, cost us more than we could afford, then in the end, dropped it all and was all "Whatever" then let months and months go by before ever even contacting her.
We've never discussed anything like the CS around her, I figure its not for her to worry about. BUT, his GF started talking about it once when my girl was there, and so she asks "Well, how much does he have to pay?" and the gf told her "More than 500.00 every month! and thats why he doesnt come see you" WTF!?!?! I was so mad!
I had thought about getting it raised, but we're about to jump into a visitation modification battle, and I didnt think we should try to get the CS raised at the same time.
We'd actually be quite happy to get even 200.00 a month. He usually doesnt pay at all. One month, for the ENTIRE month, i got a single check. Which I photo copies, then sent back to the courts because I ws so irate. It was for 0.97cents. See, here in Oregon, as long as he pays SOMETHING every few months, he wont be jailed again. So yeah, theres a nice check, eh?
$200 is low. Too low. I get $800 a month but it will be lowered to $550 when my child is out of day care. We have a system here in TN that is based on both parent's earnings AND extra VALID expenses (medical, child care, etc...) then split up based on the income ratios. Lets say he makes 60k and I make 40k. He would pay 60% of additional related costs and I would pay 40% then you add in the standard 20%. He gets "credit" for medical coverage and a standing child support order is deducted prior to ours figuring in. Seems high and it is compared to what other mothers are getting if they get anything at all. His previous child only gets $380 a month but she hasn't taken him back to court in the last 7 years. I am grateful that my child gets his support and it is spent on him.
Your child deserves this money so go get it. Easing your financial burden will also lessen stress for YOU and that is another benefit to your child.
In Texas you get a precentage of the persons take home pay period. I believe it is around 20% for one child and maxes at 28% regardless of how many kids the dad may have. I really all depends were a person lives. $200 a month is fine in some places and is nothing in others. I have a lot of issues with the child support system as it currently exist but I do believe fathers should take care of their kids. Everybody has different opinions on how it should work but in the state of Texas they just take a precentage and move on to the next case.
ya, ya'll are probably shaking your heads at the title....but really, Im just curious on what most people are paying/recieving for child support in comprision to where we're at....
a bit a background...
i was married, we had a child, the marriage was terrible and thankfully over within 2 yrs...
I asked for and obtained full custody of our daughter. She was 2. I was tryingto be nice (dunno why) but started out actually only asking for 75.00month for child support. total. well, he threw a few, saying it was his money,and if she wasnt living w/him, he wasnt going to "waste his good money on her" ya, nice guy...so anyhow, long story short, after a LONG time, the courts finally set child support at 200.00month. He doesnt pay any insurance or anything. Just the 200.00month. Well, WHEN he pays that is. He's been jailed several times and had his licence removed because hes so far in arrears. He's also taken us to court because he thinks its unfair for him to have to pay CS. he actually hasnt paid for awhile again now...sigh...
so anyhow, we've never raised it, she is 14 now....im curious, what are most people averaging for CS for this age?? Is this 200.00 unreasonable?
I think $200/month is a little on the low side, but adequate. But it sounds like you are fighting tooth and nail just to get that. I say take it and let the state cs agency continue to do their job collecting it. If they are putting him in jail and taking his license, that's a good incentive for him to pay to avoid those repercussions.
Whatever you do, do NOT use one of those private child support collection agencies! I made that mistake. They keep 34% of the money, even if the state is actually doing the work to collect it. Luckily I was able to get out of it, but it was not easy and I wasted a lot of money doing so. I do think the good thing that came out of it was my ex finally realized I wasn't playing anymore. He's still about $8,000 behind, but a few yrs ago it was $11,000.
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200 is a little low
