Like most custodial parents in Texas, you rely on child support to help you take care of your children’s needs and make ends meet each month. You might worry whether someone officially keeps tabs on how you spend the child support you receive, especially if your ex often questions where the money goes.
You may be relieved to find out that in most cases, the family law court, the child support office and your ex cannot tell you how to spend child support. The purpose of child support, explains FindLaw, is to benefit your children’s well-being. However, child support can cover a wide range of subjects. You may choose to set aside your child support funds for your children’s physical needs, such as clothing, shoes, winter gear, school books and hygienic items. You might spend a portion of child support on your rent or utility bills, so your children do not go without heat, electricity or a roof over their heads. If your child gets sick, you could spend the money on medicine or a visit to the doctor. You also have the right to spend child support on entertainment for your children, including a night out at the movies, a restaurant meal or a birthday present.
Unless your ex or the court has a legitimate reason to believe you are not covering your children’s basic needs, you should not have to state how you spend the child support you receive. However, you may need to speak with a lawyer to defend yourself if you are accused of misspending the funds, in which case this information should not serve as legal advice.