It’s back-to-school season, and for divorced or separated parents, the question is: Who is paying for the expensive TI-84 calculator their child needs for class? Child support doesn’t cover the costly tab of #2 pencils, paper, clothes and computers, which runs on average $600 per child, adding more stress to what can already be a tense situation between parents.
School supplies tend to become out-of-pocket expenses, often falling in the hands of the custodial parent. Child Support to the custodial parent is supposed to cover a child’s basic needs. It includes:
- Housing
- Food
- Clothing
As all parents know, the costs of raising a child involve more than just these basics, especially during back-to-school season. And unless there is a change of employment status, the court will ordinarily not modify child support.
Because these kinds of payment questions aren’t answered by child support orders, this is the time for a solid co-parenting plan. Back-to-school is the second most expensive season of the year (after the end of year holidays), and few people can anticipate all the out-of-pocket expenses, such as:
- Computers
- Backpacks
- Registration fees
- Musical Instruments
- Sports equipment
- Transportation
- Tuition and more
Cooperation goes a long way to helping exes–and their children handle it. He suggests parents share these back-to-school expenses. Together, parents can decide on a fair split, who will pay for what and how the payments will be made in a timely manner. A word of caution: the conversation can veer off the rails, if one parent makes significantly more than the other, leading to a battle over an uneven split. Remember the bigger picture, which is taking care of the children. Often, those are split using the out-of-pocket health expenses reimbursement formula.
Once a plan is made, communicating through back-to-school season helps alleviate stress and avoid unnecessary conflict. Make sure everyone keeps receipts. Working these issues out ahead of time reduces the impulse to buy two sets of supplies, one set for each parent’s home. It can also reduce the “can you top this?” spending wars that have parents locked in a competition to shower the child with expensive supplies. Those disputes not only drive up costs, but they cause more resentment and tension.
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