You’re getting divorced from your child’s other parent — or maybe the two of you were never married. Either way, the relationship is over. While you agree that your ex should remain involved in your child’s life, you don’t intend to seek child support.
After all, you earn a good living and can support your child. Why haggle over child support when you are trying to cut ties with your ex?
Your child deserves the support of both parents
Even if you earn much more than your child’s other parent and intend to be the primary caretaker of your child in the shared parenting relationship, you should still pursue child support. While you might not need the money each month, these funds are intended for your child. Not you.
If you don’t need the cash each month for bills and expenses, bankroll it for your minor child. That way, when your child turns 18, they will have a nice nest egg to cover college costs. If they don’t plan to matriculate at an institute of higher learning, the cash you squirreled away each month could buy them a car, make a nice down payment on a starter home or fund a year of traveling the globe gathering life experiences. Regardless, this is money that is owed to your child.
Paying support increases parental involvement with their kids
There are other reasons for seeking support from your ex. When a noncustodial parent pays child support, it tends to increase their involvement in their children’s lives. Much like an investor pays more attention to a business in which they have a stake, contributing financially to their children ups the ante for noncustodial parents to remain connected to their children.
Studies have shown that dads who pay support for their kids visit with them more frequently and play a more significant role in their upbringing. Unless there are some serious red flags that would otherwise indicate that an increased level of parental involvement might bring more harm than good, this is something that should be not just welcomed, but encouraged.
The bottom line on child support
One takeaway from ongoing events in the world is that our lives can change abruptly. We can find that what we thought was secure and permanent is suddenly altered or perhaps gone entirely. Being able to have a secondary income stream to turn to in these fraught times can be a real lifeline for you and your child.
If you would like to look into the possibility of seeking child support, a Denver family law attorney is a good resource to tap.