Christmas

[MKx2]

But as you know, the more you earn - the more they take.  DH's CO in 1991 was over $16k/year including health care and  child care ... which came to roughly 38% of his GROSS salary ... thankfully two have emancipated and we have a mere 21 mos left of CS for the youngest.

[kiddosmom]

OMG! what are you going to do with that extra monies? Lucky you!
LOL I bet you feel like you have won the lotto in 21 mo :)

[sweetnsad]

$5000????  God, I wish ours was that low...Last year my SO handed over $15,000!  Whoosh!  Gone...and she claims she didn't get enough..

[MKx2]

We have FINALLY have been able to buy a house!  We have been renting since '91 - separately and then as DH and DW.  We close in January and will await the time that we will have some extra money to fix up something of OURS, rather than always always always putting the extra money into something one of the three kids of his needs ...

Been a long haul, but light is shining at the end of the tunnel.

Nope, money can't buy happiness, but it CAN buy a chunk of dirt and a roof you can call your own ... we are both so thankful we are able to do this now, and still provide for the kids.

[smtotwo]

Between the the 2 ss and 1 ds still at home we looked at the roller coater, but decided on the ferris wheel as a gift for all 3 boys!!  Doesn't that look like fun??  

DH built the ones we bought last year while he was laid off over winter.  He should have a field day with this one!!

[tryn2begooddad]

No I do not want to move to Canada that was kind of said tongue in cheek...taxation on child support there is a sore subject huh the one paying pays taxes on it and the one receiving doesnt count it as income for tax purposes...and they say the tax system here in the states is fair HAHAHAHA.....

[tryn2begooddad]

I hear you there I send a total of $14K a year not to mention splitting unreimbursed medical/dental 50/50 (fortunately the kids are mostly healthy)...and yes I like how the system is the more you make the more you pay...Here in CT though they way they figure it is by the total of both birth parents..so if the ex's salary goes up the amount needed to raise the kids goes up as well..I dont quite understnad that one but ok..unfortunately for me my raises outpace hers so the percentage I must contribute actually goes up. So she gets basically a free $14K a year.  maybe one day things will change....but I am not holding my breath

[oklahoma]

But our gross income has been hovering right around $10,000/year--and that's including my income!  I guess I wish we made enough to pay $15,000/year..... because then at least we would have a little more for ourselves and our two other children.  And BM would probably still complain about not getting enough--or else her legal battles would grow to include that whole amount as well.

Just counting down the days until my husband is out of law school!!  And by the time that happens, we will be a few years closer to not paying CS at all.

[MKx2]

So what the courts have done is impute income for DH?  GREAT!  He's trying to better himself and provide more financially in the future so he has income imputed!   Swell.

Now, please understand that I'm not saying he has no obligation to pay child support while he's in school.  He did make the choice to do this so for a few years ya just have to suck it up.  

The laws are just unfair in general, and it seems far too many are milking the system for all they can get.

Hang in there OK - one day you truly WILL chuckle at your struggles during this time period.

[MKx2]

'cept BM hasn't worked since immediately after they split up, lived on CS and had NO income included (she had a great lawyer, DH had a roll-over-play-dead lawyer).  The daycare costs were dropped by her voluntarily after a couple of years.  We were blessed to be able to pay 80% of the unreimbursed medical costs - oh thank you!

But, the times they are a-changin' ... hard to believe that at SOME point we will no longer be supporting her as well ... but I have to say, I feel really sorry for her.  She has spent the majority of her life, by her own choice, in a state of one degree or another of poverty, and when things got too bad for her, her mommy would bail her and "gift" her $5-6k from the estate ...

I was born into the wrong dang family!  LOL!