Creative and child support are not words often heard together but being more imaginative and inventive when it comes to child support and custody arrangements can lead to a better result for everyone involved. By looking at creative solutions rather than focusing on only the logistics, you can find a solution that will better serve the child and lead to co-parenting before the divorce is even finalized.

These solutions are a great tool when the divorce is particularly contentious. For parents that want to set up the least stressful situation for their child but know the communication process will be difficult at best, there is nothing wrong with thinking outside of the box. The following solutions will take much of the communication needs away and lead to a smoother process in co-parenting.

Setting Up a Fund

If the child has a lot of extracurricular activities or is on his or her way to an expensive college, costs will add up quickly. Rather than being on one parent or having a payment system, a fund can be set up to cover those costs. This can be placed in a savings account and will be moved into designated accounts when the need arises. It also takes away the need to regularly communicate, as the account would be for those needs alone.

One Parent Handles Extracurriculars

In the same issue, one parent could agree to handle all of the costs that come with the extra activities rather than continually communicating. There are also agreements that could be made where the extra activities would be split between the two parents. For instance, if a child both plays the violin and is in softball, each parent could handle one set of the costs rather than trying to split everything for each.

Specified Ranges

If one parent is better off than the other, there could be an agreement that a certain amount of money would be paid toward other expenses for the child each year or month. For instance, if the extracurriculars are going to cost $2,500 each year and one parent cannot handle the expenses, the parent with better finances could agree to handle those costs rather than trying to get down to the nickels and dimes each can afford.

Consider Assets

If one parent has more assets than the other, they might be able to afford more support or have the child support adjusted based on the community and separate property costs.

Each child support agreement should be based on what will work best for each family, with the needs of the child first. If you are having issues with child support or want to work with a team that focuses on case-by-case solutions, contact us today.