Child support payments are designed to cover the basic necessities for children, such as food, housing, and clothing. However, there are many other costs associated with raising a child, potentially creating financial challenges. Parents going through divorce need to understand these costs and how to provide for managing them.
The following are significant categories of child-related expenses not covered by child support:
- Uninsured medical and dental expenses — While insurance may be required as part of a child support order, costs outside of insurance typically are not. Examples are braces, therapy or special medical procedures. Copays and deductibles are also not covered.
- Childcare and preschool — Child support does not usually account for the cost of daycare, after-school care, nannies or preschool programs, although additional support may be ordered to help cover childcare if both parents are working or in school.
- Educational expenses — Child support does not include costs for schooling beyond free public education, such as private or parochial school tuition, uniforms, school supplies, field trips or tutoring.
- Extracurricular activities — Activities such as sports, music lessons, camps and arts programs typically fall outside what child support is intended to cover.
- Transportation costs — Travel expenses, such as for visitation, extracurricular activities or vacations, are generally not included in regular child support.
- Special needs costs — Child support formulas do not account for a child’s disability or other special needs requiring additional care, equipment or therapy.
Divorcing parents can include a provision in their settlement agreement stating that each parent will pay a certain percentage of reasonable costs not covered by child support. The agreement should be as detailed as possible, specifying which costs will be shared, the proportion each will pay and how reimbursement will be handled.
The agreement may provide for using mediation in situations where the parents can’t agree on the necessity or amount of a particular cost — for example, expensive private school tuition.
Note that the agreement can remain in force even after a child has turned 18 and graduated high school, which is when child support generally comes to an end. The agreement can cover sharing of college tuition and related costs, which are among the largest expenses parents face.
At Dawson Family Law, PLLC, we represent Michigan parents dealing with child custody and support issues during divorce. Schedule a free consultation by calling (586) 514-0084 or contact us online.