question about household size

[kathy4530050]

This is a really simple question, but I am confused about household size. I am a single parent and currently have two boys in college. Their father pays for their tuition out of college accounts they've had since they were babies and they contribute to their own college living expenses. One of them goes to college out of state and the other is going to a community college in town and living with me. They both live with me in the summer. For '08, I am claiming both of them on my tax return. Still, because they are not minors, my lawyer said I have a household size of one and all of my expense categories have to reflect that. Yet, when my boys are home for a weekend, they can practically eat up my whole grocery budget for a month! My lawyer also said that I couldn't include any of my boys' expenses in my budget (like money I give my kids for books). I understand that my kids are no longer minors, but still, they are expensive! Would the court prefer that my boys drop out of college and try to find minimum wage jobs in Michigan (where we live)--the state with the highest unemployment and worst economy in the whole country??

[deadbroke99]

Wow I don't have any answers for you but just wanted to say that seems so unfair! Hopefully your lawyer is wrong.

[B65]

I used mine

as a household size, so you can use to to determine if your under median ie household size of one or 3.. mine were used to make me a family of 5 and they were included, but as for their expenses I could not use it, but I could claim the food for a family of 5 as that is what we were, that is the only thing I could use though on a means test, the food nothing else, not money i give them, or their cars nothing... just food for a family of 5.

Good luck!

[kathy4530050]

Really??

Wow! That would make an AMAZING difference for me. If I could use the median family income for a family of 3, instead of 1, I could fly through this test! AND if I could include food for 3, this would STILL make a big difference. I REALLY hope my lawyer is wrong. Based on all that I have learned from this forum, this is yet another example of why I need to consult with another lawyer or two before I file. I got very different information than you did and yours sure is better than mine. THANKS!

[B65]

thats what we did

get a few more consults!!!