accountability of custodial parent re: CS

[spidey225]

What is the name of your state?What is the name of your state?What is the name of your state?MI
I wondered if there is any ruling or law in MI which would allow me to have my ex-wife show me how she spends the CS money on our daughter. She pleads living pay check to paycheck, but yet just bought a new car, spent part of August in Tenn at the races, and drives 100 miles up north (even with the price of gas!! ) every weekend. She also told our daughter that she can't afford to buy her school clothes this year, plus there are times when my daughter calls me at work and says "I need lunch money, mom didn't give me any again". Mom says she will give her a car (her old car), but won't pay for insurance or driver's license fees. Of course, she makes me out to be the bad guy because I won't pay for car insurance in addition to my already sky-high CS. (My opinion is, I had to buy my own car when I was a kid, so she doesn't need to be given a car at this age.) Mom is all about $$, lives way beyond her means, and our daughter suffers for it. My daughter has a roof over her head and food on the table, but things like school clothes issue bother me. I would sure like to have her show me how my money is spent.

 

[stealth2]

The courts generally will not get involved in this sort of thing. As long as her basic needs are met, they consider the CS to be going where it's intended. As for the school clothes - is your daughter walking around in rags or too-small clothes? Or does she just not have the latest "fashions"?

 

[betterthanher]

What is the name of your state?What is the name of your state?What is the name of your state?MI
I wondered if there is any ruling or law in MI which would allow me to have my ex-wife show me how she spends the CS money on our daughter. She pleads living pay check to paycheck, but yet just bought a new car, spent part of August in Tenn at the races, and drives 100 miles up north (even with the price of gas!! ) every weekend. She also told our daughter that she can't afford to buy her school clothes this year, plus there are times when my daughter calls me at work and says "I need lunch money, mom didn't give me any again". Mom says she will give her a car (her old car), but won't pay for insurance or driver's license fees. Of course, she makes me out to be the bad guy because I won't pay for car insurance in addition to my already sky-high CS. (My opinion is, I had to buy my own car when I was a kid, so she doesn't need to be given a car at this age.) Mom is all about $$, lives way beyond her means, and our daughter suffers for it. My daughter has a roof over her head and food on the table, but things like school clothes issue bother me. I would sure like to have her show me how my money is spent.

Unfortunately, there is no law requiring the accountability of how CS is spent. Unfortunately (although a handful of states allow it). The only thing you can do is keep track of the comments that are made by the child. In addition to keeping attention to the child's appearance.

As far as the car thing, I am one of those people who think the child should be the one paying for their OWN insurance and license fees. If they can't afford these...they can't afford to drive, IMO. This is what a part-time job is for.