There is a lot of confusion regarding how the court will handle extracurricular expenses when calculating child support. This is understandable. In a general sense, extracurricular expenses are not part of the child support calculations. The main components of the child support guideline calculations are as follows:
A. – What is the gross income of both parents from all sources
B. – How much is health insurance for the child
C. – How much is daycare costs, if any
D. – Private school expenses and the cost
What about basketball fees? Gymnastics? Baseball? Or any other extracurricular expenses. Generally, these expenses are handled one of two ways. Either they are addressed in your marital settlement agreement or split proportionate to income according to the worksheet calculations.
There are some exceptions. For example, if your child has ongoing consistent medical needs (ie: wheelchair or special medication) these sort of expenses may be included as an extraordinary expense. Additionally, consider whether your child’s extracurricular expenses are in excess of regular participation. For example, if you have a young “phenom” at a particular sport and need specialized training or instruction this too may be an extraordinary expense.
How you handle these expenses can have a huge impact on child support. Therefore, contact the Justice Legal Group with any questions at 505-880-8737 or email us at info@JusticeLegalGroup.com.