Splitting a household in two can have a big impact on plans for funding a college education.
Providing child support for minor children and spousal support come before spending on higher education, according to Nicole Sodoma, a family law attorney and managing principal at Sodoma Law.
“Most people are surprised to know that if there was a plan in place regarding how to pay for college, the plan to pay for college sometimes has to take a backseat to the family’s expenses,” Sodoma said.
While some states require parents to pay for college, others do not.
What the court requires parents to pay for often depends on their financial situation and background, according to Madeline Marzano-Lesnevich, national president of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers.
“They basically say send the child to the best school they can get into if they can pay for it and if that’s where the child wants to go,” Marzano-Lesnevich said.
That means that a parent cannot have the court make it mandatory for the other parent to pay for their child to attend Harvard if the money is not there. Likewise, graduate school is usually off the table.
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