Many parents think child support awarded in a divorce is calculated to cover every expense associated with raising a child, from food to car insurance. But in reality, New York child support doesn’t cover everything. There are often miscellaneous expenses that need to be allocated between the former spouses in a fair and manageable way.
Basic child support — This type of support covers food, clothing, housing and other essential needs.
Add-ons — These are additional expenses that might include child care costs, health insurance and medical expenses, after-school activities, educational expenses and foreign study.
Basic child support is paid monthly by one parent in a set amount, which is calculated by statute. Add-ons are paid for by both parents in proportion to their income. For example, if Parent A makes $75,000 a year and Parent B makes $25,000, then Parent A pays for 75 percent of the add-ons and Parent B covers the other 25 percent.
Many expenses do not fall into the basic child support or add-on categories. Such expenses often get overlooked when parents are negotiating child support and can add up over the years. All of the following are examples of expenses associated with extracurricular activities that might not be considered add-ons and therefore wouldn’t automatically covered by child support:
Bats, balls, hockey sticks, helmets and other sports equipment
Costumes for theater or dance
Music lessons
Gymnastics classes
Costs of traveling for sports or other events
Summer camps and other types of camps also can involve many unseen costs. Items like bedding, clothing, transportation and camp counselor gratuities don’t usually qualify as add-ons, so you’ll need to negotiate for them as part of your child support arrangement.
Some educational expenses, such as tuition for private school, can qualify as add-ons, but many do not. There are dozens of education-related costs that you may need to cover, such as class trips, yearbooks, prom costs, social clubs and gifts for teachers.
Finally, there are numerous miscellaneous costs of parenting that aren’t included in child support. Just a few examples are cell phones, cars, car insurance, birthday gifts, parties and hobbies.
It is difficult to anticipate all these expenses and factor them into your child support negotiations, since many of these costs and others depend on each child’s development, both physically and socially. When new financial costs arise, it may be necessary to modify the child support agreement with court approval.
At Bombardo Law Office, P.C. in Syracuse, New York, I help clients think holistically about child support so they don’t end up bearing a financial burden that becomes too heavy. To arrange a free initial consultation, please call my office at 1-315-488-5544 or contact me online anytime.
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