Why You Shouldn' Underestimate Infant-Related Expenses When Negotiating Child Support
Posted on: 22 November 2016
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Many first time mothers are surprised at the high cost of raising a baby. This is why you need to be careful when negotiating child support if you are divorcing shortly after giving birth. Here are three expenses that surprise many first-time mothers:
Hike in Utility Bills
A newborn baby will usually be accompanied by a hike in utility bills such as water and energy bills. For example, you may find that you need to raise the thermostat level a little bit or use the dehumidifier more frequently to keep the baby comfortable, and that leads to increased energy consumption by heating and air conditioning unit. Other changes that may lead to increased energy consumption include frequent use of the dryer and more frequent washing loads. The same factors that increase energy usage may also increase water usage. For example, you would be surprised how often you need to wash a baby's clothes, which consumes both water and energy.
Nursing Supplies
You know you will need nursing supplies, but you will be surprised how much you can spend on them in the long run. Expect to see a sharp hike in nursing supply costs when you decide to get back to work and have to provide milk for your baby at the same time.
You need nursing pads to wipe off leaking breast milk, nursing bras to hold your breasts comfortably even when filled with milk, and a pump and storage bag to pump and store the milk since you won't be with the baby all the time. These are just three examples; Parenting magazine has a list of 15 products that make breastfeeding easy, and the list is by no means exhaustive. Moreover, you may need to replace some of these things even more than once before the baby stops nursing.
Baby Outfits
Many people underestimate how many clothes a baby needs. You probably know you will need lots of baby outfits, but you probably don't know how many of them you will need. You would be surprised how often the baby needs to be changed, and how fast they outgrow their clothes. One week you are exclaiming how cute they look in their pink onesie and the next week they can't fit in the attire. According to some estimates, expect to spend an average of $720 on clothes just for the first year, and this is without factoring in the cost of diapers.
Even if you are feeling hurt and betrayed by your partner, don't treat the child support negotiations lightly. For the sake of your child, engage a child custody lawyer and follow their advice so that you don't have to go back to court soon after divorce to modify your child support agreement.