Extraordinary Expenses In Child Support

Federal Child Support Guidelines provide a bare basics framework for determining how separating parents will split the financial responsibility and cover the costs of raising their children. But the official tables are only a starting point. When a child's needs don't fit neatly into the cookie-cutter model, parents may be able to include in their child support arrangement what the law refers to as special or extraordinary expenses.

What Makes An Expense Special Or Extraordinary?

Out-of-the-ordinary child support expenses go beyond the basics such as food and shelter and must meet two basic requirements: They must be both necessary for the child's best interests and they must also be reasonable when matched against the family's typical spending habits prior to the separation.