Clients of a Houston divorce lawyer frequently ask about how they will estimate expenses for food and clothes when they formulate a budget during the divorce.
How to Budget for Food and Clothes During a Divorce
An important portion of the divorce proceeding is to develop a budget. The manner in which this is done when it comes to food and clothes is by looking at what was spent in the past by both you and your spouse. A method of doing this is by determining the total that was spent on food and drink over the previous year and dividing it by the number of people upon whom the items were being spent.
For example, if the couple spent $8,000 on food and drink during the previous year and the budget was now for the spouse and three children, the formula would go something like this: $8,000 divided by 5 multiplied by 4. The total would be $6,400. This can be made more difficult if one family member is consuming a significant amount more than the others.
Clothing Expenses Can Be Complex
When determining how much was budgeted for clothing, there are issues that must be examined. In some situations, there are items that are necessities and others that are items that one spouse wanted but didn't need. An example is a wife who spends $850 per month on her own clothes but won't be able to continue that trend as the finances become clearer. Budgeting generally requires that needs are most important.
When calculating budgets for food and clothes, it often becomes a matter of getting caught up in the details. The main objective is to come up with a fair budget based on facts.
Speak to an Experienced Houston Divorce Attorney
If you have questions about budgeting for food and clothes in a divorce, contact Kay Polk Attorney at Law at (713) 234-6260 to discuss your case today.
