subject: Avoiding Setting Precedents with Child Support Payments Before a Divorce Goes to Court [print this page] Avoiding Setting Precedents with Child Support Payments Before a Divorce Goes to Court
When you and your wife initially decide to split, you may end up finding yourself in a situation with your kids where you want to do right by them. In order to be the bigger person, you decide to make arrangements with your wife to find a new place, split daycare costs, and send her a specific amount of money each month to help with the kids.
This, however, can ruin you financially in the long run.
As much as you will want to help out and show that you are good for the money and doing the right thing, this can all come back and bite you in the butt later on in court. By setting such a precedent, you can expect the court system will go ahead and enter in an order that matches exactly what you've been doing in the meantime. Sometimes, even with court child support calculations, you might end up spending more per month on child support just because you've paid it in the past with no problem. The courts will see this and will go ahead and set things to continue as is. This is where you end up setting a precedent that hurts you.
Although it may seem counterintuitive, do not set up any kind of arrangement with your wife and kids until the issue goes to court. A temporary order may be set in the meantime, and make sure it is a fair, minor order, but otherwise, avoid agreeing to pay your wife anything until the trial date. This will help you avoid setting a precedent that absorbs every extra dollar in your wallet!
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