Online Tool Helps Prevent and Settle Child Support Issues

As a divorce decree becomes final, whether in Georgia or elsewhere in the country, every issue surrounding marital dissolution itself should have been resolved. Where children are involved, however, conflicts may still lie ahead, particularly when child support is the subject. As a financial obligation, child support has the potential to make the noncustodial parent's life harder if it causes financial strain. And it can cause financial strain if the custodial parent must cover costs when support payments are late or do not arrive at all. Child support thus can be a long-term source of conflict.

To address the needs of those who pay child support as well as those who receive it, an online tool called SupportPay has been introduced. The application was developed in 2011 and recently introduced in October at the DEMO Conference, a technology industry get-together in California. According to Ittavi, its creator, the application is designed to resolve issues that typically develop between divorced parents when it comes to support payments.

This tool allows parents to upload receipts for child-care expenses, record payments made and determine what a supporting parent still owes. The application shows the noncustodial parents the real costs of child support. Other records can show whether payments made have actually been used to cover a child's expenses.

SupportPay can automatically remind parents about their financial obligations, an especially convenient feature when paying child support through third-party providers such as PayPal and credit card companies. The expense records and documents in SupportPay can serve as evidence whenever either the supporting parent or the custodial parents asks for child-support modification.

Child support is a critical matter requiring succinct resolution in the event of divorce. Fortunately, technology such as this can help solve a critical family law matter like support without directly involving a child.