Eleven Divorce Myths Debunked, Part 6

When people hear the word “divorce,” their minds rocket toward catastrophe. Sadly, those predictions of doom are often true. But divorce itself doesn’t create a crisis any more than a stick of dynamite explodes a building. Instead, a chain of deliberate actions transforms what could be simple, quick, and inexpensive into a costly, messy, and time-consuming debacle. Family and Divorce Mediator Matthew M. House, J.D. corrects some common myths about divorce so that the public is not terrified by the prospect of their lives collapsing just because a marriage ends.

MYTH #6: If I’m the primary parent and my ex increases his or her parenting time, my child support money will go down.

TRUTH: Too often, people think of child support only as the check they write or receive. It’s important to think about child support as all the money you spend on your kids, regardless of who contributes it. Married people don’t call the money they spend on their kids “child support.” Instead, when an expense comes in, they pay it. When you’re divorced, it’s the same way. When your kids are with you, you spend money on them that you probably don’t even keep track of. When your ex’s parenting time goes up, your child support payment will go down, but it’s because your ex is spending more on the kids than before.