Alimony and child support are not interchangeable obligations — one is a financial remedy between former spouses, the other is a legal right that belongs to the child, and courts treat them as categorically distinct from the moment a divorce is filed. Every difference that follows from that divide —...
Continue reading...Child Support
Child Support and Incarcerated Parents
Going to prison doesn’t cancel a child support order. The court entered that order, and only a court — or in some states a IV-D agency — can change it. Until that happens, the obligation keeps running, the payments keep coming due, and every dollar not paid becomes a permanent...
Continue reading...Child Support and College Expenses: Do Parents Have to Pay for College?
Your child got into college. Then comes the question neither parent wants to argue about: who pays? If you’re divorced or separated, the answer isn’t automatic — and it’s not the same in every state. Parents are often surprised how different the answer becomes once you cross a state line....
Continue reading...Child Support Tax Rules: Who Claims the Child as a Dependent?
Every tax season the same thing happens. One parent files first, claims the child, and the other parent’s return gets rejected. Many parents don’t learn this rule until tax software rejects their return. One of the most common questions divorced parents ask is who claims a child on taxes when...
Continue reading...Child Support and Health Insurance: Who Pays for the Child’s Medical Costs?
When parents separate, someone has to cover the child’s medical bills. Health insurance premiums, copays, deductibles, dental visits, prescription drugs — these costs don’t stop because the family split up. Child support handles the monthly cash transfer. Medical support handles everything else. ⚖️ Quick Answer Federal law requires every child...
Continue reading...Child Support for Low-Income or Unemployed Parents
Losing your job does not automatically stop child support. Courts still expect payments unless the order is formally modified — and many parents learn that rule the hard way. Courts do order child support when a parent has very low income. Every state has rules for this. And if you...
Continue reading...Wage Garnishment and License Suspension for Child Support
When a parent doesn’t pay child support, the system doesn’t wait. It has tools built in from the moment an order is entered — and two of the most powerful ones are income withholding and license suspension. These aren’t rare enforcement escalations. They’re standard procedure in every state — and...
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