August 11, 2008 |
2008-R-0460 | |
PARENTAL ACCOUNTING FOR CHILD SUPPORT PAYMENTS | ||
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By: Susan Price, Principal Legislative Analyst | ||
You asked if Connecticut or other states have laws requiring custodial parents to provide an accounting of how they spend child support money they receive from their child's noncustodial parent.
Connecticut does not have a law requiring custodial parents to account for how they spend money they receive as child support, but at least 10 states (Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oregon, and Washington) do. Table 1 shows what legal standard, if any, triggers the accounting obligation.
Table 1: State Child Support Accounting Statutes
State |
Legal Standard |
Colorado Colo. Rev. Stat. Ann. §14-10-115(14)(b) |
None specified; if the noncustodial parent claims that the custodial parent is not spending the child support for the benefit of the children, the court may refer the parties to a mediator to resolve their differences |
Delaware Del. Code Ann., tit. 13 §518 |
Upon showing of good cause, the court may order the person receiving the support to account for the expenditure and management of the funds |
Florida Fla. Stat. Ann. §61.13(1)(a) |
None specified; the court has continuing jurisdiction to require the person receiving the support payments to report on their disposition |
Indiana Ind. Code Ann. §31-16-9-6 |
Upon showing of necessity, court may order the person receiving the support payments to provide the court an accounting of future expenditures |
Louisiana La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §9:312 |
Upon a finding of good cause based upon child support expenditures for the six months prior to the filing of a motion for an accounting |
Missouri Mo. Rev. Stat. §452.342 |
Upon good cause shown, the court may order the custodial parent to furnish the obligor with a regular summary of expenses paid on behalf of the child |
Nebraska Neb. Rev. Stat. §42-364(4) |
Upon presentation of evidence of an abusive disregard of the use of child support money, the court may require the party receiving the child support to file a sworn report with the court, as often as it requires, stating the manner in which the money was used |
Oklahoma Okla. Stat. tit. 43, §118(b)(18) |
None specified; child support orders may include such provisions as the court deems appropriate to assure that the child support payments are used for the support of the child |
Oregon Or. Rev. Stat. §107.105(1)(c) |
None specified; the court may at any time require the custodial parent to account for how the money received as child support was spent |
Washington Wash. Rev. Code Ann. §26.23.050(2)(a)(ii) |
None specified; child support orders must include a statement that the receiving parent may be required to submit an accounting of how the support is being spent to benefit the child |
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