Parents who divorce in Texas are still left with one major and long-lasting issue that they need to cooperate together to work through: how they’re going to pay to raise their child well. Child support payments are meant to help spread out the financial burden, but unfortunately, there are a lot of expenses that child support doesn’t cover.
Huffpost has an article detailing the things that might be too expensive for child support payments to cover. Generally speaking, these are things that are considered “non-essential”, but are still essential to the overall enrichment of your child’s life and possibly directly tied to their happiness or your ability to care for them. For example, as a single working parent, you’ll likely have to shell out for some form of child care service. Whether you’re dealing with daycare, babysitters, or full-time nannies, these services can be expensive.
As your child grows, the expenses will likely grow right with them. School can come with a lot of extracurricular activities, some of which can have a price tag. You may need to pay for music lessons, uniforms, school trips, yearbooks, tutoring, and much more. College tuition, car fees, and insurance fees can also be bundled into the expenses as your child continues to grow. Child support payments may simply not be enough to help even things out.
It’s difficult to anticipate just how much money your child will need while they grow up. However, it’s best to assume that child support payments will not cover everything equally, and be prepared to pay more than anticipated to ensure that they get an enriched childhood.