Why isn't this covered in support?

[OneMan]

I am sort of new to this. I am trying to understand why support guidelines do not include housing expenses.

For example, Ex-husband X and Ex-wife Y each make 60K annually. But ex-wife does not pay housing expense because she remarried and the current husband owns home outright. But ex-husband X pays the same rent he always paid and child lives with him 50% of the time.

Housing is a child expense just like medical care, child care, etc.  And it's a pretty large one. Then why is it exempted?

Thanks!

[MixedBag]

oh boy, what a can of worms....then why aren't other things "itemized" and not everything lumped in?

if you have 50% of the time, why are you even paying Child support would be the bigger question in my mind.

And I know the answer is because some states (like here in AL), time with the child doesn't matter.

Why aren't BOTH parents required to provide medical etc insurance?

[ocean]

Housing is covered. Both parents need to have a bed for each child. How/Who they marry after the separation is not the other parents concern. Ex-husband may get remarried and move into new wife's residence and housing costs go down or eliminated too.

If you really have 50/50 custody and make the same money, then no child support should be awarded BUT medical and activities need to be addressed.

If it is a every other weekend situation, then it goes by state formula which usually includes: food, clothes, housing (some states add other items). This is given to the primary parent to pay for the "extra" time in that household.

[OneMan]

How/Who they marry after the separation is not the other parents concern. Ex-husband may get remarried and move into new wife's residence and housing costs go down or eliminated too.

Yes. And that would mean that the ex-husband's expenses would be less by thousands of dollars a year. So why should the ex-wife keep paying the same child support if, let's say, the situation were 70-30, with the husband having 70? Its seems that if the two ex's have the same income but very different basic expenses (like housing), that should be factored in.

[ocean]

Strictly by state formula. If you can prove a big difference, you can ask for the magistrate/judge to go off guidelines but new spouses income is not used in many states. Once you get your first order, it is VERY hard to change. So if you sign first order, you know your child support obligations.

We had opposite where ex decided she wanted to ask for more child support because she moved to a different house and wanted an increase in child support to cover the increase in housing cost. Judge through it out before we even had a hearing. Reason: mother knew expenses and amount of child support before she went into contract with new house. This is not a change of circumstance. Dismissed.