-daycare expenses
-dental or medical insurance premiums attributable to the child
-health-related expenses exceeding $100 after insurance reimbursement
-extraordinary expenses of educational programs that meets the child’s best interests
-post-secondary education
-extraordinary expenses of extracurricular programs

In deciding the appropriate amount payable, the court must consider the necessity and the reasonableness of the expenses incurred, the best interests of the child, and the means of the parents, and the spending pattern during cohabitation or marriage.

Since the Guidelines has come into force, there had been disputes on what constitutes as “extraordinary expenses.” Do swimming lessons count? What about training for the Olympics for competitive swimming?

To clear things up, the regulation was amended to include the definition of “extraordinary expenses.” To be qualified as an extraordinary expense under the Guidelines, it will be expenses exceeding that of the parent requesting the add-on can reasonably cover.

In the alternative, the court may consider the expenses extraordinary after taking the following factors into consideration:

-the amount in relation to the income of the parent requesting the add on,
-the nature and the number of the educational or extracurricular activities,
-the special needs or talent of the child,
-the over all cost of the program, and
-any other factor that the court considers relevant.

The expenses are shared by the parents in proportion to their income, rather than split in the middle 50%-50%.

*O. Reg. 391/97, s. 7

This Blog is provided for your reference only and is not a substitute for the law. The law may have changed since the publication of this article. This article is not legal advice and should not be regarded as such.