11/05/2025
Did you know there are hidden orders as part of the Child Support Order that affect long distance plan costs, out-of-pocket healthcare, and claiming kiddo on taxes? Did you also know this does 🙅♀️ NOT 🚫🚫include the cost of extracurricular activities? If you violate the hidden orders, you can be held in contempt for violating a child support order ... and that is a big deal.
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💼Pro tip - Manage your finances with a better understanding of the Child Support Order.
(1) 💵💰It's Income Based not Time-Based. Your child support order will base the division of the Tax Benefit Allocation (who can claim kiddo in what years for taxes) and the division of out-of-pocket healthcare costs (everything - medical, dental, vision, orthodontics, therapy, etc.) on a proportionate share of income. For example, if we put all the income - from both parents - in a bucket, what percentage would come from you?
(2) What it is not. It does not cover everything and you should plan for that when reaching agreements, putting forth requests to the Court and planning out what you can afford. The most common area you will see this is in extracurricular activities (baseball, dance, club ball, etc.) and private tuition costs.
(3) There are credits with specific rules. The Court treat different circumstances differently. To maximize the benefit, we look to your unique situation.
(4) The Child Support Order also sets one parent as the one who is responsible for providing the healthcare coverage.
If you are struggling in any one of these areas, we can help to represent your interests and guide you through a better outcome.