Does Child Support Cover Sports in Atlanta?

Atlanta is famous for its sporting community. Various programs across the city funnel talented children toward professional careers in various leagues. Whether your child shows promise or they simply enjoy playing sports, you might be wondering whether child support will cover the cost of their training and equipment. This is something that a child support attorney in Atlanta may be able to address.   

You Are Free to Use Child Support in Any Way You See Fit  

Parents should know that when they receive child support, there is no one watching to see how they spend it. The court simply assumes that you know what is best for your child, and you can use this money in any way you see fit. If you believe that you should divert a portion of these funds toward sports, you are free to do so.  

What if I Can’t Afford to Fund My Child’s Sporting Career? 

If you find that your child support funds are not enough to cover sporting activities, you may need to consider various options. First, you could assess whether certain scholarships or grants are available to assist your child. If your child is truly talented, various organizations (including professional teams) may be willing to cover the cost of their training and equipment.  

Avoid spending too much on sporting activities if this would take away from the child’s basic necessities like food, shelter, and medical care. If you do not budget effectively, this may not be in the child’s best interests. As a result, you may face allegations of child neglect – and you might even lose custody of your children.  

The final option is to petition for a modification of your child support order. This may be possible if you believe that the circumstances have changed, and your child now requires additional funding for their sporting endeavors and that funding these sporting endeavors are in the best interest of the child. The court may agree that additional funding is in the child’s best interests, and your ex could be required to pay more. That being said, your ex’s income may be limited – and they could be incapable of increasing their payments.   

The Situation Is Different for High-Net-Worth Parents  

Although Georgia follows specific calculation formulas for child support, things are different for high-net-worth parents. In these situations, courts may recognize that the child is accustomed to a higher standard of living and the court may not want to disrupt this standard of living. As a result, calculations may factor in additional costs for various extracurricular activities. These might include not only sports, but also music, art, and much more.  

Note that some sports are more expensive than others. For example, a child from a high-net-worth family might be more likely to play ice hockey, go horseback riding, or go skiing. All of these sports may require higher child support payments.  

Can a Child Support Attorney in Atlanta Help Me Cover the Cost of Sports? 

While child support is only supposed to cover basic necessities in Atlanta, there may be circumstances in which parents can use these payments for sports. Wealthy parents may be particularly likely to pay for these extracurricular activities through their normal child support obligations. Consider discussing your options with our Atlanta child support attorneys at Kaye, Lembeck, Hitt & French today.   

Sources:

 georgia.thegrantportal.com/grant-details/59929/grants-for-high-school-senior-athlete-scholarships 

allkidsplay.org/youth-sports-grants/