If you’re paying child support, something you may be concerned about is that the money won’t be used toward your child’s well-being. You may worry that the funds will be spent in ways that you don’t approve of or that your co-parent may waste the money that should be spent on things for your child.
Child support payments are supposed to be spent in a way that helps support your child. That could mean helping pay for the family home, buying groceries, paying for afterschool sports or covering other expenses that benefit or are necessary for your child.
If you are worried about how the money is going to be spent, something you could do is ask to have a shared account set up.
How could a shared bank account help with the tracking of child support spending?
If there is a history of your co-parent not using the funds appropriately or claiming that you don’t pay enough, you may want to discuss the option of creating a shared bank account for your child’s support. If you and the other parent have access, you can always add more money when needed. It could, hypothetically, help both people track the funds and show when and in some cases how they’re being spent.
Having a shared bank account after divorce isn’t a typical solution. However, if you are in a situation where tracking child support spending is necessary for any reason, then the court may agree. This is something you can discuss with your attorney if you feel that it is necessary to protect your child.