like said above save reciepts. if you bought stuff with credit card call up company and ask for printed statements as proof.
here is how you play the upperhand though..
1. Breath.
2. Accept that child support may be in your future.
3. Realize it may not be that bad. THink about the positives. If you have them deduct the money, you are garuanteed to not miss a payment short of loosing your job. But here is the greatest positive of all. Since i pay through my pay check not in person or by mail.. i never have to see her, or call her or recieve her call.. yeah i have to talk to her about who gets the kids on holidays, weekends etc.. but i no longer have to talk to her cause its pay week..
what? you didnt get the check? well, they took it out my pay, call up CS, not my prob i did my part.. clik..
4. Volunteer for CS before she takes you.. CS and judges may treat you like a dead beat dad, not always but most likely.. You volunteer, you may win the courts heart over, what does that do for you? its up to the judge unless the mother raises hell to decide if you pay back child support as well..
my judge didnt even bother.. i had all my reciepts and checks and didnt even need it, not only did he not pursue back pay, he told my sons mom she could ask for baby sitting money, "but if i were you miss, i would stick with the cs i would advise you against it, but its your choice".. she opted to not go for it
he told her she could ask for medical fees as well for medicene etc.. "but your sons father is paying for medical insurance, so i would advice against it miss" she opted to not go for it..
mind you, by law he has to present to her her options, just doesnt have to push for it..
5. also i had a lawyer, she didnt, get one..
6. Breath..
lol the judge and court officer were so baffled that i volunteered for CS they had me sitting in the wrong seat (cause the microphones record the proceddings and mics are set by plaintiff on one side and other party on the other side.. ) it was actually funny
got the same judge when i went to lower my payments.. he remembered me, so he lowered my payments according to the law as far as 25% for 2 kids 17% for one..
problem i was scared about was that it had been 5 years since that time.. so even with lower child support percentage, my salary had gone up by almost 35k since i volunteered... dude looked, older black guy too, he based my new CS payments on my salaray from 1999 not from 2004.. wow what a difference that made..
before it was 1k a month for two kids, with new salary it would have been about 1300 a month for one child, so i went down to about 500 month instead of the 1300 a month for 1.
again.. good presentation, a lawyer, a sense of concern for your child etc.. with the right judge can be in your favor.. but if you start with that man i got this bill and that and a car note etc.. man dont no one give a fuck, cable bill, car note all that shit is luxury..
go in humble and aware...