WA Does Child Support Cover Clothing for Children?

[amybl]

My ex pays child support but I'm just wondering whether I need to provide clothes for the kids when they are with him? I have 85% care. I thought maintenance covered clothing, etc for when they are with me and he was required to pay for clothing, etc when they are with him?

At the moment I am packing a bag for the kids every time they go and the clothes are constantly getting ruined so therefore I'm having to buy new ones all the time. I would like to know if I can tell him he's supposed to be providing clothes for them on his weekends or if its my responsibility?

Thank you

 

[Rob Legat - SBPL]

Please note I'm saying the following as a parent in a somewhat similar situation - I'm not a family law practitioner.

Generally, each parent is responsible for the costs of the child when they are in their own care. Unless negotiated and agreed between yourselves, any expenses incurred while the kids are with your ex are to be borne by your ex - it also has to be specifically agreed for the Child Support Agency to even look at making the other parent bear a portion of the cost (speaking from practical experience). In answer to your question then, you're responsible for delivering the children in suitable clothing for the situation. You can, and I suggest you should, request that the children come back to you in that same clothing.

 

[AllForHer]

The father really should be supplying the kids with clothes when they're at his house, regardless of child support. It's parenting time, and that's just part of parenting.

 

[sammy01]

OK, devil's advocate?

Does he want more time with the kids? But you won't agree? So agree to more time with the kids, get less child support and he can spend the child support he doesn't give you on clothes. Yup, didn't think so.

Or he agreed to the current set of arrangements. Supply the clothes, foster good will. Do the clothes get worn out more at his place than at yours? If the answer is yes, then maybe you ought to do more with the kids, after all if the clothes are getting worn out more at his place with 15% care than at yours with 85% then you need to get out more.

Child support don't have any rules BTW - so no one here can tell you a definitive answer. There are no rules.

So let me give you some options.

So - Plan A - supply clothes - live a less stressful life, stress less, live longer... (my preferred option).

Plan B - Don't supply clothes, but be reasonable and tell him 2 weeks in advance to prepare.

Plan C - Don't tell him and be a completely nasty piece of work... Just drop them off in the clothes they are wearing. This is stupid.

Nope, there is a Plan D. Even more stupid.- my ex did this one... Met me at McDonald's and insisted on going into the disabled toilet, so we could take 'her' clothes off the kids, and put on 'my clothes' . So she told me I had to bring clothes to change over - go into a toilet with her to change the clothes of 3 kids... Madness.

So what you do is up to you? Kids clothes are cheap and I like Op-shops. She sends kids in rags. So I start shopping for clothes when I don't have the kids... They start rocking up to my house to find nice new clothes and they are grateful. So it didn't help her cause as far as the way the kids chose to perceive her behaviour...

Final thought - be reasonable and look for reasons not to have arguments. Why?

Story time - prior to the McDonald's, stupidity mentioned above. My ex would send the kids in stupid clothes, gum boots. A shirt on 4-year-old with two stupid looking dogs with the writing 'like father, like son'. It was a stupid game to her - the game was called how to hurt me...

So these days the kids live with me and they remember the stupidity.

My opinion - with 85% care you're getting the maximum child support. If you really wanna have this argument - then do it this way. Tell the ex you would like to enter into an agreement with him. Under the agreement, he needs to provide clothes for the kids when they are with him. Consequently, you will agree to 10% less child support per fortnight.

Yup, didn't think so.

Learn to argue less. Live more.

 

[MartyK]

I agree with those responses above relating to the other parent supplying clothing for the children at their residence also. Are you expected to also supply all toys et al as well?

In my mind, things like clothes in a drawer, at the other parents house, can provide the children with a better sense of the other residence being a 'second/other home', rather than it being simply a 'sleepover/stay over'.

With the care arrangement you mention, the clothing at the other parents would not need to be extensive. Nor do they need to be expensive (their decision).

I also agree that the other parent should be returning the children in the clothes they are sent in. If the clothing is being ruined in short periods of time, and, you cannot afford to continue to repurchase/replace, then perhaps you might consider buying a set of plain, inexpensive, run if the mill clothes (eg plain drill t-shirts such as children might wear to school), that you can send the children off in. "Travel clothes"

I would recommend that you advise the other parent that you will only be sending the children in one set of clothing for visits, with a change of underwear for return, and, that they will need to purchase some clothing for the children to wear while in their care.

You could/should? Say, that prior to do so, you will still afford them the opportunity to take the children during a visit to the shops to buy some clothing, as this would assist them to buy the clothing in the children's correct sizes.

Good luck

 

[SamanthaJay]

Honestly, kids clothes are a dime a dozen. People are always trying to offload the clothes their kids have grown out of - much of it unworn or barely worn.

Pack their bags with hand me downs or op shop finds. Take advantage of other parents' over indulgence when it comes to clothing their kids. Don't be precious - it isn't worth it. They're kids. They are going to dirty and wear out some of their clothes.