Child Support and paying 50% of costs afterwards?

[hubby]

Ok ... can someone clarify something for me.

Based on both my ex and I's salaries - and the fact we are going 50/50 custody - I am paying the ex an amount every month to help with child support. Lets say this comes to 1000.

My ex claims that that amount is to offset our salaries - that even after I've paid her CS of 1000 that anytime she buys clothing and such, that I have to now pay 50% of the cost of the clothing even after I've given her a CS payment of 1000????

Thats seems to contradict that I've already made CS payments - is she blowing smoke or puffing it???

Hubby

[privateone]

Both....frankly if you're 50 50 split, you can buy close for your house and she can for hers. That's what child support is for....food clothing etc etc. My understanding is only day care, and special things like hockey equipment would have to be paid for outside the CS amount.

[hubby]

Above and beyond CS

Ok ... I've paid her CS support - she goes and buys them clothing with the CS I've given her - I've paid my CS dues.

What she is claiming is that after CS has been paid - if we decide to only buy one set of clothing - I have to now pay 50% of that cost as well?

So, if I give her 1000 for CS and she buys 1000 in clothing and we decide to share - I now have to give her anther 500 driving my costs upto 1500?? As an example??

Please say it aint so!

Hubby

[Sk8r]

Well, the reason you only pay the offset amount when you share 50-50 custody is that there is an assumption that you both have equal costs for the children since you both have them equal time. The costs of children normally included in child support are shelter (you have your home, she has hers), food (you feed them half the time), CLOTHING,....

So if she is buying ALL the clothing and you are buying none then you are not sharing that cost and I can see where she is coming from.

Where this might fall down - for me anyways - is if the offset amount is very large - for example if you make $100K and she makes $10K - the offset amount is ALREADY 90% of what normal child support would be. In that case I would say just give her the full table amount and tell her she is then responsible for any purchases required for the children that would normally fall under child support.

[crispy]

How could you get ex to supply everything if you're paying full tabled amount. I've been paying full tabled amount, and I still supply diapers, wipes, clothes, food, formula. She doesn't give me a single thing, and yet she's driving a new(used) vehicle now.worth over 20k and she only makes 30k in a year and is still committed to a joint debt that I've been paying 100% of.

[crispy]

oh yeah, I forgot to mention, that I've had my kids around the 40% mark and she is still demanding things on me for money. Telling me that she is going to enrol my 3 year old daughter in indoor soccer and dancing and that I have to pay for most of it.

[baileybug]

if you're sharing custody 50/50, then you should be supplying the kids with the things they need while with you (clothing etc), in addition to paying the tabled CS difference between your two salaries.

As for extra activities.. if it's something that happens on both of your times, then you should pay a ratioed amount based on your salaries. (add your two salaries and then divide by each one) So if your's comes to 60% and hers 40% , then that's the amount you should be contributing to extra activities costs.