A lot of California kids carry with them many commitments. They play sports, take classes in the arts, perform in musical groups, and participate in many other activities that hold their interests. While some of those extracurricular activities are free, others require students and their families to pay for services.
When parents go through a divorce, many hope to keep their kids in their normal activities in order to lessen the feeling of upheaval on the kids’ lives. However, with households splitting and new costs associated with the divorce mounting, it can be difficult for some parents to pay for piano lessons, soccer uniforms, and dance recitals. Some may even wonder if they have to pay for their children’s activities through their child support payments.
The California Courts provide detailed information on how child support is calculated in the state. Primarily, child support guidelines take into account the parents’ abilities to provide for their children and the other financial obligations for which the parents are responsible. A child support order may dictate that one parent must pay the health-care costs of the children or that the parents will split costs associated with their kids’ education. Parties can agree to particular terms of support if they are able to come to such settlements outside of court.
The most important thing that any child support order or settlement can achieve is a plan that serves the best interests of the child subject to the agreement. Raising a child is not easy, nor is it cheap, and individual families in California may come to different resolutions as to how extracurricular expenses will be addressed with child support. Family law attorneys can help those with specific questions find answers to their legal needs, hopefully allowing children to retain as much normalcy and the quality of their lives.
