I have received several emails from unhappy non-custodial parents who are paying child support and/or whose children receive auxiliary benefits thanks to the non-custodial parent.   As one such reader wrote:

How can the non-custodial parent control the use of the benefit for the welfare of the child if the custodial parent is a chronic nonworking individual who lives off welfare and the child support I provide already?

Here are my thoughts: there are really two issues here.  The first issue has to do with child support, which is a state court issue.  Generally, when a state court judge awards primary custody and child support, he does so with the belief and expectation that the custodial parent is best equipped to take care of the child or children.  Even when custody is evenly divided, a judge may award child support if he believes that the non-custodial parent needs the financial resources to best care for the child.Read more on Custodial Parent Uses Auxiliary Benefits and Child Support on Beer and Dancing – What Can I Do?…