Educational Benefits/Support - New Court of Appeals case

Another case handed down by the Indiana Court of Appeals yesterday has a very interesting point about educational benefits and commuting students. In Bryan Carson v. Cynthia Carson (PDF format), the parties' daughter attended Manchester College and lived at home. The trial court ordered father to pay daughter's room and board expenses based upon the costs of living at Manchester College even though she lived at home.

The Indiana Court of Appeals upheld the educational benefits order but reversed the trial court for using the expenses of a Manchester College dormitory room.

So new law for Indiana unless the Indiana Supreme Court takes the case (assuming a subsequent appeal) or another panel of the Court of Appeals takes a different approach.