Actually, I did make the decision yesterday I am going to talk to him about the child support. I never readdressed it, and part of it was not wanting to rock the boat, and the other part is pride. But this is ridiculous. $88 a week in this economy and k have our kid most of the time ? It’s becoming crazy expensive.
It's about time that a-hole pays his dues!
Agreed, but it's not even about calling him an a-hole or making him pay his dues. Think of it for your daughter's sake. It's about making sure she has the resources in life she deserves. Her clothes, haircuts, and feminine products should come before his trip to saint maarten. That also helps you, and that's alright. You're certainly been pulling the bulk of the weight for nearly a decade and a half. It's ok to ask him to contribute more (or force him by court order, if needed).
When's the last time you revisited the amount? NJ has Cost of Living Adjustments (COLA) every 2 years and federal guidelines demand a state had procedures to revisit every 3 years for inflation purposes.
I am not a L, but there are plenty of state-specific resources and calculators online about child support, and while I don't know all your detailed numbers I have a decent sense of things just based on the high level you've shared here on this forum...so I did some rough estimates and ran some numbers. You have majority custody (estimated 70/30), you have low 6 figure income (estimated $100k), his salary is lower (estimated $50-75k). That ranged anywhere from $130-200 per week on various calculators. So...you may be able to reasonably double current support.
Now, my numbers might be off and there may be other factors I don't know and I'm not L. However, I also think a judge might use a good amount of discretion if he knew you were primary for 14 years and your Ex is jetting off on tropical vacations yet not chipping in for teenage girls basic necessities past $88/week.
The point is do not sell yourself short on the $100 per month, or extra $25/wk, based on what you think he can swing or is fair for him. Get an informed opinion from a professional to use as a guide for talking to Ex. And get a more fair amount if you can. It's not just for you - it's for your daughter.
Just my $0.02.
Me:39 Ex-W:37 M:7 T: 9 S:6 D:3 BD/IHS/Confirm EA/PA: Feb '20 OM1 affair ends: May '20 W/OM2 & moves out: June-July '20 W files for D: Jul20 OM2 confirmed: 9/2020 Divorced: May '21
