Understanding Special And Extraordinary Expenses During Summer Holidays

Summer with children is full of fun activities, many of which impact both a families’ schedule and their pocketbook.  When you are in a co-parenting relationship it can be a challenge to co-ordinate the days when there’s no school or your regular childcare provider is on holidays, not to mention your own holidays.  Discussing how you will share the costs of camps and other creative replacements for childcare in advance, as part of your overall planning for the summer, will mitigate last minute disagreements and budgeting shortfalls. 

Summer events like the Saskatoon Exhibition may not be on your radar until the fateful evening, when driving down Idylwyld Drive, your child catches a glimpse of the Ferris Wheel lit up in all its carnival fun glory and for the rest of the ride home they’re asking when they can go and if they can get cotton candy while they’re there.  The cost of attendance will be just a drop in the bucket as one must also consider the cost of ride tickets, and not just the cotton candy, but also all the other tantalizing treats like elephant ears, pretzels, chocolate dipped Mars bars, and so on!  You think to yourself, “This is all going to add up to an extraordinarily expensive activity, and shouldn’t the other parent have to contribute as well?” 

Types Of Expenses That Can Be Included Under Section 7

You are correct that the cost will likely be extraordinary; however, attending the Saskatoon Ex is not a “special or extraordinary expense” under section 7 of the Federal Child Support Guidelines.  Section 7 expenses are the additional costs that the law expects both parents to contribute to, proportionate to their incomes, and include the following:  childcare for when a parent is at work or attending school; medical, dental and other health related expenses; education costs, and certain extracurricular activities.  These are the expenses that are typically necessary for a child’s well-being or development and are over and above the basic needs covered by monthly child support. 

How You Can Agree to Share the Costs of Discretionary Expenses

Your child might think of the Ex as a necessity but in the eyes of the law it’s considered a discretionary expense.  This means it’s optional and not essential to your child’s basic needs or development and therefore there’s no obligation on the part of a co-parent to contribute to the costs.  

You can of course agree to share the costs if you both value attending the Ex as a family tradition. Just because you now live in separate homes and are no longer in a spousal relationship doesn’t limit your ability to work together in building memories for your child – not just during the summer but all year long! 

Our Family Law Mediators Can Help

If you believe that you may have a situation that falls under Section 7 expenses or you need the support of a mediator to help you come to an agreement for discretionary expenses, call Panko Collaborative Law at (306) 975-7151. Our legal team has extensive experience helping clients understand Section 7 expenses and ensure that any relevant factors are being accounted for in their child support calculations.