I agree with everything being said above, its not up to the obligator what the parent recieving the CS does with the money, and new wife shouldn't get involved... I am just a step parent, my husband's kids have a mother and a father around... However, I do feel that I have a little say since we are a family, the household income is our income now. My husband pays over $600 in child support for 2 kids, ages 8 and 11. In their divorse decree, besides child support, he is supposed to pay half of medical copays, prescriptions, ect. Both my husband and her husband carry medical insurance through work for the kids. On top of child support, she asks for at least half of school supplies, school clothes, haircuts, shoes, coats, when kids go on vacation or trip, she asks for stuff kids need for the trip. My husband gives in because she holds kids over his head. She treatens he can't see the kids, and he is afraid of it because she has "kidnaped" them before, just ran off for few months to Florida, and no one knew where they were. Now, its in the forties, the weather is getting cold, kids have broken zippers on their coats, she wont buy the coats, because she claims she doesn't have the money, we bought their coats last year, we don't have the money either, we actually have fallen behind on some bills and trying to catch up. I understand it aches my husband's heart seing kids in those coats that they can't zip up and he just wants to go out and buy new coats. I told him, I would never say no to taking care of his kids, or anything like that, but when is it enough? We bought them school supplies this year, some school clothes... I told my husband, that he supports his boys, thats his family and he has an obligation to them and supports them by paying the CS, weither its enough or not considering the cost of raising kids, this is the fair amount according to the calculation and based on what he makes. I already know from all the experiences with her, she will keep sending them in those coats until he breaks down and buys new ones, because she knows he will. Its no win situation, he either lets kids go home in old coats and go to school like that and be cold, or fall even more behind on our bills and goes out and buys coats. I have no problem with CS payment, but I do have a problem, when more money goes out to the support of that family then money coming in for the support of the new one. And the fact that the money isn't being spent on coats and shoes. The 11 year old was wearing grandpa's shoes that were 3 sizes too big. Their coats don't zip. And she also presented him with the list of things the kid needs for class trip.
and it could help somebody.
not taken badly at all. 