Same tired old college-age support question.......

[Darryl]

The state is Missouri. My daughter is 19 1/2 just completed first year of college. I am still paying child support as allowed for by state statute. Now the mother has retained an attorney and is requesting guideline support (I do pay slightly less than what she can get, but more than what is ordered in our very old decree) plus tuition.

My daughter attends college 12 months out of the year, lives in the dorm with a meal package included. She rarely comes home and no longer 'lives with' mom either. I agreed to increase child support voluntarily but for some reason she now thinks I should pay tuition in addition to CS.


1. Do I have to pay both CS and tuition or only child support?


2. Can I ask that my child support go directly to my adult daughter and can I also ask that mom pay child support to daughter also since she lives with neither of us?

3. My daughter receives several scholarships which helps to recuce the tuition but she could get her degree much cheaper at a community college but 'they' wanted her to attend a christian college. If I am liable for tuition does it have to be for this more expensive college or a portion of what she would pay at the community college?


Thanks in advance.

[socrateaser]

>1. Do I have to pay both CS and tuition or only child
>support?

CS only, unless you agreed in some past stipulated (agreed) judgment/order to voluntarily pay tuition.


>2. Can I ask that my child support go directly to my adult
>daughter and can I also ask that mom pay child support to
>daughter also since she lives with neither of us?

Yes, you may, and on your facts, IF you can prove them to the court's satisfaction, I believe that the court will order support paid directly to the child.

>
>3. My daughter receives several scholarships which helps to
>recuce the tuition but she could get her degree much cheaper
>at a community college but 'they' wanted her to attend a
>christian college. If I am liable for tuition does it have to
>be for this more expensive college or a portion of what she
>would pay at the community college?

If you're liable for tuition, then you have no choice. The decision re what school to attend is your child's alone, unless you can show the court that the chosen school is not an institution recognized by the any recognized accrediting organization (i.e., that the education is reasonably worthless).