A divorce can be an emotionally and financially precarious time for an Arizona resident. If a person does not work outside the home because they support their family, they may worry about where they will come up with money to provide for their own post-divorce needs. If they are the breadwinner for their family, they may have concerns about providing their ex-spouse with alimony in the future.
The parties to a divorce may not be the only ones with worries. Children may not understand why their parents are choosing to divorce and they may be scared of what will happen when they do. A child’s life can be turned upside down by divorce if they have to move, change schools, or alter their lives to accommodate the needs of their parents.
One of the reasons that child support is ordered is to help prevent some of these issues from becoming realities. Child support is money paid from a noncustodial parent to the other for the benefit of their shared children. A parent who receives child support from the other can use that money to buy the child necessities or to provide them with education, entertainment, or extracurricular experiences.
Children do not get to decide if their parents will stay married or get divorced, and, therefore, children should not be made to suffer when a divorce happens. Child support helps maintain a child’s standard of living in their post-divorce world. Having child support awarded or having an order of child support enforced can be a critical component of ensuring that a child is provided for, and family law attorneys can answer their clients’ questions about these topics.