Parents in Arizona and throughout the country are generally responsible for providing financial support to their children. Child support payments may be used to cover a variety of expenses from food and shelter to the cost of attending college. Support payments may also be used to cover miscellaneous expenses such as keeping the lights on in an apartment or heating a home that the child lives in.
Children who attend public schools may still incur educational expenses. These costs may include the need for clothes and shoes to the price of hiring a tutor. Parents may also be responsible for paying for school lunches or other fees that a school may levy. A child is generally entitled to entertainment in the form of television, access to a computer or the ability to go to camp. A child support order may require each parent to contribute to an entertainment budget for a son or daughter.
Medical expenses may be included in a child support payment. These costs may include insurance premiums as well as any costs that aren’t covered by a medical policy. In most cases, the parent who has access to the better health care plan will be the one responsible for enrolling their child in it. Parents generally split the cost of a copay or other out-of-pocket medical costs.
Those who are ordered to pay child support may face serious consequences if they don’t do so. However, it may be possible for parents to negotiate a child support plan on their own. As long as it meets the needs of the child, it will generally be approved by a judge. Child support arrangements will ideally determine how much each parent will pay for medical insurance and other needs like food, shelter and adequate clothing.