Parents who are divorced need to budget for those payments. It doesn’t matter which side of the matter you are on. If you are making those payments, you must ensure that the money is available. If you are the recipient, you should set your budget to use them as a windfall just in case they are late.
For the paying parent, there is a chance that the support payments will come directly out of your paycheck. While this might seem like a no-brainer option, you should think about how you will be able to determine your income to reflect the payments. This is fairly easy if your payments are a set amount for each check; however, if they are percentage-based, it might not be so easy.
The recipient parent may count on the payments to pay vital bills, such as rent or utilities. Have you thought about what is going to happen if there is an issue with these payments? If not, you should take time to come up with a plan for handling that situation. One idea is to try to base your bills off your income and use the child support to cover extra expenses.
The Office of Child Support Enforcement notes that the child support program is a good investment. This is because of the proof that ensures the payments are being made. This program can be a hard one to deal with for some parents. For example, if you miss payments, you might be facing some very strict penalties. It is always best to make the payments on time. The recipient parent must ensure they are using the payments in an appropriate manner.