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Boundaries with money above and beyond child support

maryjones's picture

Can I get opinions about providing financial assistance to bio mom above and beyond child support? My husband's ex-wife is constantly at him for more money for the "kids". i.e. back to school clothes, school lunch accounts, teenage daughter's cell phone, and other miscellaneous items. He gives in almost 100% of the time. I get child support from my ex-husband and have NEVER asked for extra money,and in my opinion, my husband is subsidizing his ex-wife's household income.
Can someone give their opinion, on both sides? i.e. are you an ex-spouse that goes above and beyond child support? are you an ex-spouse that feels justified for asking for more money? if so, why? I just need to know if I am the one off base here. Please do not use this to bash your ex one way or the other...just honest feedback.
Thanks.

Harleygurl69's picture

His CS is suppose to cover the needs of the children. If she can't manage her money that's her problem. If your DH wants to go above and beyond his CS then that is his perogative. He can certainly purchase items for his kids when they are with him but definitely don't hand over money to BM. Who is going to know if it is actually going to things for the kids? Anything beyond CS that has come up for my kids (prom, school pics, etc) is handled by submitting two checks (one from me and one from father) or separate accounts. And everything is divided 50/50.

sbm014's picture

I-m so happy This I stand by your account, my account our account as sometimes DH wants to play Disney dad and I refuse to let it affect household bills.

sbm014's picture

My SS doesn't hate me, and I don't mind putting money towards him but all the extra Disney stuff beyond essential needs I don't want to do. I don't ask him for help with my family (no bios mainly niece and nephew) but we split many Christmas/Birthday gifts for both sides but if it a just because it has to be either all me or all him pretty much. DH and I both make enough money to pay bills and have money to do whatever we want with. I refuse to pay more bills than necessary just so SS can go back to tell BM we have nicer stuff - even though DH is good about finding deals.

sbm014's picture

In my DH's decree it says he is not required to pay 1/2 of medical until he has been presented a receipt within 14 days or 30 days if he is offshore and then he has an additional 30 days to pay BM back and we have yet to pay 1/2 as she loses the receipts and DH says that the she signed the decree so she must follow the rules as the only one we had incurred we presented to her and she will never paid but it was only like $20 and it was so we could prove SS didn't need glasses to him saving SS from unnecessary glasses was worth paying the full amount.

sbm014's picture

That is absolutely insane!! 2 freakin years? Really? I'm glad that you went through and found the error as that is just simply insane. **HUGS**

I am so glad though it seemed silly re-reading and making sure it was in the decree at the time as we just wanted BM to sign it we made sure stuff like this was addressed... (DH and I met after he had been separated from BM for about 10months and offered her several terms of the divorce including the house, etc which lead to her turning to the state and dragging everything out - we got together before the final court date (they had a bunch) and it took BM 8months into our relationship to sign the decree as she tried to change petty things including this clause)

Unfreakingreal's picture

DH used to CONSTANTLY fork over more. Not in actual cash but ALWAYS had to buy coats, boots, shoes, sneakers, uniforms, clothes, glasses, pay for school trips, school pictures, bookbags, school supplies etc...It caused fight after fight after fight.
He FINALLY woke up from his dumbass slumber and stopped. He pays a significant amount of $$ in CS and he is not supposed to do ANYTHING extra that BM requires.
The funny thing is, BM cries poverty but is always rocking Gucci!
It never ceases to amaze me.

sbm014's picture

I say that he shouldn't give in at all.

DH and I will pay for sports if SS5 wants to do them and even if he originally ask BM even though most of the time he comes to us to ask as he knows that we are more prone to want him to be involved and be willing to pay for equipment and he learned this again this fall when he wanted to play football and had originally asked BM who asked DH and DH exclaimed to her that she was getting 3 child support checks that month so that she could do it as we were still getting adjusted since his company had just got bought and last week was legit his first full paycheck since like August (he gets paid every 2 week so sometimes she gets 2, sometimes 3 checks a month) and BM told SS that he couldn't play football as it was to expensive and he is to little (it starts out as flag) but mainly she stressed being broke or at least that is what SS told me after it was to late to sign up and DH told him BM said she would do it and sign ups were passed so he was sorry but nothing we could do at that point.

With SS we will buy his backpack though the past two years he has used the same one - as BM said she would buy it this year and never did. He has two different lunch boxes and we do not pay for anything above and beyond his needs at our house . I'm sure DH wouldn't mind if BM would return the favor --- for example DH wants to put SS in a private school but the monthly fee is a little more than we can afford right now so he asked BM to go file for aid and he would pay the rest as it is a better school and she refuses as her eldest has to go to public school.

I can maybe see if a BM wants to split a cellphone for a child possibly but I still highly doubt I would want DH to do that mind you BM is essentially living off child support ($770-1150 from us, 300 a month for her eldest, HUD housing which is $300 in rent and food stamps etc)and barely working under the table as she seems to always have some injury so DH does not help at all.

I believe if it is something to truly help the kid maybe (sports, college etc) but nothing that BM could directly benefit from especially if she is simply asking for help so she doesn't have to pay anything.

Mercury's picture

My husband used to do the exact same thing and wouldn't listen to me when I asked him to stop. Unlike BM, I have a successful career so it wasn't that I needed him to contribute more to our household, I just couldn't stand the principle of the thing: he was completely supporting HER, not the kids when he did this.

It took ME scheduling a consultation with a lawyer FOR HIM to get him to understand that he should not give her one dime more than he agreed to in the divorce. BTW, the amount he agreed to is way more than our state's income shares CS calculator would have assigned. The lawyer told him to stop immediately with the extras.

CS covers school lunches, after school care, clothes, etc. If he want to get them a special gift, have at it, give it to THEM. BM has a job plus this extra tax free income called "child support". Let her figure out how to manage her own finances and live within her means.

thebrokenrecordmachine's picture

This will probably get A LOT of hits....But yes, your DH needs to set up boundaries. I receive CS too and I dont ask for anything extra.
Its a control game by the BM, most likely threatned another womens around his finances.
SO deals with this too, so annoying! Hope to be relieved one day!
She will inherit millions in the future, but still a greedy bitch. How he banged/married her, I dont get it. Theres NO redeeming qualities at all.

QueenBeau's picture

DH gives BM zip zero over CS.

She gets a good amount a month, & still gets CS in the summer when SD is at our house full time & we pay for her summer camps (150 a week). We also provide health insurance. When SD is with BM (school year, we have her every other weekend) she pays nothing for child care & nothing for breakfast or lunch (free or reduced lunch at school). She also doesn't receive $$$ for her BS from his father. If she needs money for bills etc she needs to ask him since he doesn't contribute. We also provide school clothes/supplies for SD every year because she is with us & it's a nice bonding experience for her & DH.

However, SD is only 6 so there's no prom sr pics etc yet. We will probably go in on those.

amber3902's picture

I'm a bio mom. I get $300 a month for two kids, ages 15 and 8. I never ask for anything more than that. Not for school lunches, dentist, doctor bills, extracurriculars, school uniforms, etc. etc.

To me, it's not worth the aggravation to ask for more.

ETA- just realized you were looking for responses from people who felt justified asking for more money in addition to CS - sorry!

maryjones's picture

no ANY Feedback is appreciated! I was looking at it from my BM perspective..i.e. I don't ask for extra from bio dad, cuz that's what CS is for!!

Anon2009's picture

Barring medical expenses, he shouldn't be giving her anything outside of CS. Who pays what regarding medical expenses should be outlined in the CO. If it's not, that needs to change.

My SDs BM did this when she had custody and it drove me nuts because it was clear that the money wasn't being spent on the kids.

TASHA1983's picture

In my situation; my DH does NOT give BM anything ABOVE the CO'd CS amount. She gets her 920.00 a month and that is it; besides half of all UNcovered medical/dental expenses which we pay directly to the dr/dentist office. (We recently found out BM uses the majority of the CS on herself and skid gets hand-me-downs for the most part, and we just LOVE handing money over to fund BMs life) :sick: Sad

I am also a BM; I NEVER ask my ex for more money etc. other than CS. He pays me directly so we work things out as far as an amount is concerned.

I never realized how awful the whole CS crap was until I got with DH. What a nightmare! Thankfully, DH and I are on the same page...give BM NOTHING MORE than what he is ordered to pay! }:) Wink

maryjones's picture

Thanks...I should say that yes, he is ordered to pay medical expenses and we do so. I didn't also add that the SKIDS NEVER visit us...they ignore their dad completely and haven't even seen their six month old half brother. They didn't come to our wedding either. It makes me so mad. Yes, he HAS taken BM back to court over the visitation but the next step is jail time for BM but he refuses to do that since he doesn't want to do that to his kids. There's really nothing I can do but sit back and watch the train wreck. It just adds insult to injury that he continues to give her money or pay for things above and beyond CO CS and medical expenses when they don't even return his calls, text messages, or emails. She has completely alienated them. I guess I didn't want to add all that b/c I didn't want to seem bias over giving more money to BM, regardless of the circumstances.

TASHA1983's picture

My DH's S12 has not been on a visit with DH since April. Every time it is a visit day/wkend he wants to stay home and play with friends etc. DH doesn't and won't force him either. I stay out of it b/c honestly I ENJOY not hearing from BM unless it is to say that skid won't be coming on his visit! I have noticed that the LESS they are in the picture the happier and better things in our life and household are. IMHO. Barring the ridiculous CS amount he has to pay, everything is great. Good riddance I say. }:)

maryjones's picture

Exactly how I feel...but wasn't sure if my feelings were unreasonable...like I was turning into a evil step monster, or something...it's sad...he is a wonderful DH and father and stepfather...this is the only thing we get in arguments over. At the same time, I am almost RELIEVED they don't want anything to do with us..I feel they would just harbor resentment and make their dad feel even more guilty for having a "second family"...thereby creating more tension between us. It's messed up, I know. Blended families are hard.

TASHA1983's picture

My dh does this. His S12 has been blowing him off since April by saying he doesn't want to come on his visits. I still send the texts on DH's behalf every Wedn and EOWE to see if skid will be coming and he always says no. So DH just lets the sleeping dog lie so to speak. DH doesn't discourage the visits or anything like that. For skids bday in August DH went to his house, had BM send him outside and he gave him a card and gift and hugs and spoke with him for a bit. He will be doing the same thing for Christmas if skid still chooses not to want to come on visits. Honestly, everything is soo much better this way, no BM or skid drama, just peace. My DH makes the effort of wanting to see him and still acknowledges him on his bday and Xmas etc and if he comes he comes if not so be it.

proudstepmommy's picture

Long before he met me, my DH loaned BM $3,000 (to move), consigned on her house (she threatened to move SD out of state if he didn't). BM "promised" to pay DH back with her tax return. Obviously she's never once attempted to pay him back for this.

Also not to mention the for over 3 years the state took too much $ for CS out of DHs check each month. He called to complain, and even after offering to Dax the divorce decree to them, they said it didn't matter bc BM had to sign off on the "change". So then began the 3 years of begging BM to call them.

What is wrong with these women!!!

Kasey21's picture

I would like to say it was my intervention that finally stopped FDH handing over extra money to BM but it wasnt (even after arguments). He used to pay for lots of extras at the drop of a hat and the principal of the thing drove me crazy because he was paying for her poor financial management. No, it was when she took him back for more CS and started alienating the skids from him that her gravy train stopped. The stupid cow.......she is fighting for 100 extra a month but he used to give her way more than that in extras. Mind you, we have since found out that her real motive for taking him to court is not that she will get more money but that he will have to spend on attorney fees. Her family (wealthy grandmother) is paying for her attorney fees and she just wants to bleed us dry because she is vitriolic and a very jealous nasty woman.

christinen's picture

My DH doesn't pay CS because we have SD almost 100% of the time (BM is supposed to take SD on weekends, but she rarely does). I have been trying to get DH to go after BM for CS but he refuses (he thinks if he does, she will just take SD more to avoid having to pay CS).

We pay for EVERYTHING. School clothes, shoes, supplies, sports, school pictures, field trips, medical.. you name it, we pay for it. BM contributes NOTHING, but has the nerve to ask DH for money!

DH tells me he doesn't give it to her but sometimes I do wonder if he does or not because he is definitely a Disney Dad and is a total pushover.

In regrads to your personal situation, I would say your DH should not be giving BM anything other than CS. If he feels the need to be a Disney Dad and buy the kid extra things, that's on him. But it should not come out of your household bills, and cash should not be given directly to BM.