Effective And Affordable Solutions

Does child support cover summer camp expenses?

On Behalf of | Apr 13, 2023 | Child Support

Child-rearing can be financially challenging because it comes with the responsibility to cover a broad range of expenses for one’s child. This is why it is important for parents to share the costs of their child’s needs. In the case of separated parents, the court orders the other parent to provide child support to ensure that the custodial parent will not fall into a financial burden and that they sufficiently provide for the child’s growth and development needs.

But does the child support cover expenses like the child’s summer camp or shopping allowance?

What does child support cover?

While each child is different, the law requires that parents support their child by giving them an acceptable standard of living proportionate to their lifestyle and income. The standard of living may include the following:

  • Basic needs: This includes food, clothing and shelter.
  • Education: This covers day care costs, tuition, tutoring fees, school supplies and other relevant training.
  • Medical: This includes costs to maintain the child’s physical, mental and overall health. Health insurance also falls under this category.
  • Extracurricular activities: This may be in the form of sports, arts or other activities that can hone a child’s skills.
  • Recreational activities: This may include a child’s hobbies, training and camps and weekend activities, such as shopping.

Arizona follows specific child support guidelines to determine how much child support should be in each case. Courts calculate the support amount to meet the child’s reasonable needs, which they would have been given if their parents were still together and had combined financial funds.

Child’s best interest

Every support case is unique. The only thing that remains constant is that the court always takes the child’s best interest as the top priority when deciding.

Archives