Wow...child support payments to fund Maccas?!

[fireheart17]

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/n...-1226032984060

All I have to say for this is just....wow. $60 McDonalds Habit are you KIDDING ME?!

[HYHYBT]

The rest is at least as outlandish.

[daleduke17]

That husband better be glad he doesn't live in the USA. The McDonald's habit and the reason for the clothing costs would be considered a disability of the special snowflake variety.

I'm glad the court stood up to the wife's idiocy. I don't even think my wife and I spend $60 at McDonalds in a MONTH.

[hawkchick11]

$800 a week? I'd be happy if I got $800 a month.

[Andara Bledin]

$150/week on jeans? Are they using them as currency?

And $100/week on gifts? Shit, if my brother and I got $100 worth of stuff for a birthday, we were ecstatic.

^-.-^

[Ladeeda]

$150 a WEEK on clothes? $200 made up the bulk of my wardrobe, with the odd $20-$40 dropped there and there for new pieces.

And I dress NICE.

[Andara Bledin]

$150 a WEEK on clothes?

No, no. $150/week on jeans for only the younger child. That doesn't even begin to cover shirts, shoes, etc.

[blas87]

Can I just say that I think most child support plans I hear of are completely outrageous, and I have a really hard time believing that it costs that much to feed and clothe kids. Call me cynical, but I think a lot of women (especially younger ones) tend to spend a decent chunk of that money on themselves, OR that they think it entitles them to dress their babies in designer duds that they need new ones of every month.

[KellyHabersham]

Call me cynical, but I think a lot of women (especially younger ones) tend to spend a decent chunk of that money on themselves...

And it does happen - apparently my brother-in-law's mom tended to spend much of her child support money on things like cigarettes and drugs.

[Nyoibo]

WTF type of income does the husband have that $800 a week is ok? I know couples with kids that are surviving on $800 a fortnight, how the f**k do you spend $800 a week?

Keep in mind for the people in the US that the cost of living in Australia is a much higher than in the US, although the dollar is around parity things like petrol and basics like milk and bread are much more expensive as is McDonalds.

[Ladeeda]

No, no. $150/week on jeans for only the younger child. That doesn't even begin to cover shirts, shoes, etc.

...

I just threw up a little in my mouth.

[Greenday]

My mom got like $400 a month for my sister and I. I was and am by no means high maintenance. It wasn't exactly easy. And my mom doesn't make much. With my job right now, I make more than my mom, step-dad, and sister combined. Looking back on it, I don't know how we even managed to pay the bills half the time.

What a spoiled bitch and a spoiled brat.

[Boozy]

WTF type of income does the husband have that $800 a week is ok? I know couples with kids that are surviving on $800 a fortnight, how the f**k do you spend $800 a week?

Whether or not a child needs $800 a week isn't what courts tend to look at when deciding on child support. Of greater concern is what the non-custodial parent can afford.

Think about the following situation: Your parents split up. Your dad makes $100,000 a year and your mom makes $30,000. Your lifestyle would change drastically according to whom you live with. I don't think that's necessarily fair - especially given that the custodial parent has often had to give up career opportunities that would have increased their income in order to raise the children.

So the courts aim to maintain the child's current lifestyle before the divorce (as much as possible).

At issue is not the amount of child support, but what this woman is spending it on. If I had $800 a week to spend on a child, I could find far more valuable and healthy expenditures than designer clothers and fast food.

[HYHYBT]

They have these wonderful inventions now called washing machines that mean you can use the same clothes every week for months on end... even if the jeans cost $150 a pair, surely they last longer than a week?

[Greenday]

So the courts aim to maintain the child's current lifestyle before the divorce (as much as possible).

Seeing as this kid's lifestyle is getting new $150 jeans every week and McDonalds all the time...I think he can stand for a change. He won't be suffering by any means if he didn't get new pants every week or crappy fast food.