Most families incur expenses for children over and above the usual day-to-day expenses. The high cost of these expenses is often not manageable with only the basic amount of child support payable under the child support or child maintenance tables. Section 7 of both the federal Child Support Guidelines and the Nova Scotia Child Maintenance Guidelines address the sharing of these expenses. In the family law world, we refer to these types of expenses simply as “section 7 expenses.” They include special expenses and extraordinary expenses.
There are a number of expenses that are considered shareable under this section of the guidelines. Some examples include:
- Childcare (daycare, after-school care, nanny, babysitter, etc.);
- Out-of-pocket healthcare expenses;
- University tuition, fees, books; and
- Certain extracurricular activities.
Generally, section 7 expenses are paid proportionately based on the parties’ incomes. The higher earner will generally pay a higher portion of these expenses. However, some families determine that it is more appropriate to share these expenses differently, and this may be incorporated into a court order or child support agreement.
One of the experienced family law lawyers at MDW Law in Halifax, Nova Scotia can help you determine what section 7 child support expenses are payable in your family law matter.