Nearly half of custodial parents receive child support. Learn how to track child support payments and download a free child support tracking template. Explore expert tips on the best ways to track expenses and manage conflicts.
Inside this article:
To track child support payments, both co-parents should keep meticulous records of payments. Tracking child support payments is essential to maintain transparency and accountability. It also supports financial stability for your child.
Child support is a lifeline for many co-parents. Even when co-parents don't have the chance to see their children regularly, they still bear a financial responsibility to support them. Managing finances can be stressful, and co-parenting often introduces additional issues to consider. However, managing child support is essential to ensure your child has the necessary resources and to create a healthy, transparent financial relationship with your co-parent.
According to 2017 data from the U.S. Census Bureau, nearly half of all custodial parents receive some type of child support. This statistic highlights the fact that most co-parents will have to manage child support at one point. Monitoring and tracking child support payments is a crucial component of guaranteeing financial stability for your child.
Child support tracking involves maintaining a comprehensive record of outgoing and incoming payments. This practice holds both parties accountable and provides an impartial record in case of disputes. As Philip Herzberg , who is a Lead Financial Advisor at Team Hewins, a wealth management firm with offices in South Florida and the San Francisco Bay Area, notes, "Co-parents manage and track child support by keeping copious records for all payments made for the benefit of their child."
Fortunately, there are many methods that work for co-parents to track child support payments effectively.
Key Takeaways:
There are several ways to track child support payments, depending on how you make payments. You can use government tracking services, save your receipts, or use apps that automatically track your payments.
“There are many different methods to keep accurate child support records,” says Herzberg. “You must find a system that works best for you, whether that’s taking advantage of stage agency income withholding or using a mobile app to pay, receive, and track child support.”
The method you select for tracking child support payments largely depends on how you pay and receive child support. Tracking child support starts with choosing the most appropriate approach according to your specific payment method.
When co-parents make direct payments to each other using methods like cash, checks, or money orders, they must diligently record these transactions. However, if co-parents opt for income withholding or utilize electronic procedures through banks or apps to exchange money, they can benefit from automatic electronic tracking systems. These systems simplify the process by keeping a digital record of payments, making it more convenient and efficient.
Here's a list of different methods to track child support payments.
Experts unanimously agree—manually recording child support tracking is not a long-term or reliable method.
It's important to note that experts generally don’t recommend paying with methods like checks, cash, or money orders. That’s because it’s hard to substantiate what happened with direct methods in the case of conflict. It’s also much easier to lose the money or receipts when you’re receiving them directly. Herzberg sums it up nicely: “While some parents might be a master of storing receipts, most of us rely on our phones to stay organized.”
Typically, a court issues an order to the employer, mandating the withholding of income, which is then remitted to a state disbursement unit responsible for distributing it to the receiving parent. This approach ensures a consistent and dependable flow of payments while also maintaining a comprehensive payment history. Sometimes, the court imposes this method to minimize the risk of a co-parent failing to meet their child support obligations. However, you can also voluntarily choose this method if you believe it's the most suitable option.
Most state disbursement units now feature online portals that grant both co-parents access to information about when payments were received and deposited. This effectively means that the government is overseeing the tracking of your child support payments, providing an additional layer of accountability and transparency.
“Income withholding gives you peace of mind when it comes to child support,” says Vanessa Vasquez de Lara , Family Law Attorney and Founder of Vasquez de Lara Law Group. “Most state agencies also have electronic portals where they automatically track the payments for you. Really, the only time it doesn’t work is if the paying co-parent is self-employed.”
“Apps are great,” agrees Knox. “But a lot of them can be glitchy, and some people are rightfully concerned about security. I like Zelle because it’s already integrated into many banking apps. Regardless of the app, make sure you write down what the money is for in the memo. I advise my clients to write the following: ‘Child support. Month and year.’ After that, you don’t need to worry about tracking because Zelle or another app will automatically track the payment.”
Tracking child support payments is important for the custodial parent’s financial stability and the child’s well-being. It provides transparency, accountability, and a means to address any issues. Overall, tracking safeguards the child’s best interests.
According to 2017 data from the U.S. Census Bureau, 21% of custodial parents contacted a child support enforcement office or other related office for child support-related assistance, usually to try to collect child support they haven’t received yet. This statistic takes on added significance with this additional data: 30% of children residing with a single parent are living in poverty.
The implication is clear: Even a single missed child support payment can have far-reaching and impactful ramifications. This statistic shows that many co-parents fail to manage their child support without external assistance, which can be expensive and stressful. The data clearly illustrates that a substantial number of co-parents struggle to handle child support responsibilities independently and often need external assistance.
Herzberg emphasizes the importance of setting up a child support tracking system to avoid these issues. “Setting up a tracking system early on is vital for both the payer and the payee.”
He advises co-parents to keep accurate records of every payment that you make since there is a high interest rate imposed for missed child support payments. “At times, co-parents may assert missing child support payments to seek additional funds, despite receiving the payments. Without verifiable proof, you risk the possibility of paying twice, or your co-parent might allege delinquency on your financial obligations.”
Tracking and paying child support is critical to good co-parenting. It ensures your child’s financial security and provides a way for both the custodial and non-custodial co-parent to show that they are complying with the law. Tracking keeps everyone accountable and reduces disputes.
“Tracking child support payments is common sense,” says Vasquez de Lara. “Unfortunately, common sense is not so common these days. Child support matters can become quite sensitive, often leading to disputes.”
Here are the three main reasons for tracking child support payments:
Automated payments are the best way to overcome challenges with child support. Also, make sure your parenting plan outlines the handling of partial or non-payments.
Child support can seem superficially straightforward—one co-parent pays the other. Unfortunately, issues usually come up, and money can be a sticky topic to get through, especially after a separation.
Here are expert tips on how to overcome common challenges involved in tracking child support payments.
To tackle this challenge, transition to a formal payment method as soon as possible, preferably through your bank or a state agency. For example, experts recommend using a mobile app or an income withholding arrangement mediated by your state.
“Unfortunately, if someone is unwilling to support their kids, it may not be an issue we can resolve amicably or easily,” says Vasquez de Lara.
In this situation, a court will typically order that the employer garnish the co-parent’s payments as soon as possible.
“A non-payment order ordinarily means that the state takes money directly from the non-custodial co-parent’s paycheck to pay for child support,” explains Herzberg. “In such an extreme scenario, monitoring child support payments becomes a straightforward task.”
Vasquez de Lara underscores the uncertainty of employment stability, stating, "There's never any guarantee that the payer will retain their job." She points out that an income deduction order is a valuable tool, as it applies to subsequent employers who are legally mandated to deduct wages within two weeks of receiving the order. In cases where the co-parent is unemployed, the state can garnish from their unemployment.
Still, not all is lost if you have previously made payments in cash.
To keep accurate records, experts recommend automated tracking. Start tracking as soon as possible and monitor all shared expenses as well as child support. Also, make sure your tracking plan suits both parents.
Here are detailed tips for keeping accurate records and managing child support in general.
The easiest way to track child support payments is to rely on a co-parenting app like OurFamilyWizard. With one app, you can track co-parenting expenses and send child support payments, plus manage all your other co-parenting tasks in one secure place.
Co-parenting comes with diverse responsibilities, from scheduling exchanges to managing finances. OurFamilyWizard offers a comprehensive solution to address the diverse needs of co-parents. When it comes to child support and shared expenses, OurFamilyWizard’s Expenses feature is designed to serve as a centralized hub for managing shared expenses and child support, ensuring that both co-parents have access to a single, convenient location for tracking and monitoring expenses. You can set up scheduled payments for child support that the app will send automatically. Plus, indisputable, automatic record-keeping eliminates unnecessary conflicts and eases the burden of keeping manual records.
What's more, you won't need to leave the app to make payments. With OFWpay , you can send payments directly, and the app will seamlessly update your financial records and manage any outstanding requests. It's a game-changer for simplifying co-parenting logistics.
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Rebecca Perra is a family law attorney as well as a family law and dependency mediator. She also serves as the Judicial Education Coordinator for OurFamilyWizard. In this role, she educates judges, lawyers, and other family law professionals on the online tools that are used to reduce conflict and increase accountability in high-conflict co-parenting situations.
OurFamilyWizard's Expenses tool helps you structure your co-parenting costs simply, quickly, and accurately.
