Section 7 expenses: shared child costs explained

The short answer

Regular child support covers everyday costs. Some bigger or less predictable costs are usually added on top and shared: childcare so a parent can work, health costs insurance does not cover, and sometimes school fees, activities or post-secondary education. The name depends on where you live, but the questions are the same: which costs count, who must agree first, and what share each parent pays.

What they are

Child support guidelines in Canada and the US set a base amount from the parents' incomes and the number of children. That base amount is meant to cover ordinary living costs. It does not stretch to cover a year of daycare, braces or a competitive sports program, so the guidelines let parents or a court add a share of those costs on top.

These extra costs are the most common source of argument after an agreement is signed. Most disputes come down to three things: whether a cost counts, whether it was agreed before it was spent, and whether the other parent has paid their share. Clear wording and good records prevent most of them.

What they are called where you live

Where	Common name	Where the rule comes from
Canada (federal)	Section 7 expenses, or special or extraordinary expenses	Section 7 of the Federal Child Support Guidelines, which generally apply to divorces under the Divorce Act
Most provinces and territories	Usually still section 7 expenses	Provincial or territorial guidelines that closely follow the federal ones, for example Ontario's Child Support Guidelines (O. Reg. 391/97), which also has a section 7
Quebec	Special expenses (frais particuliers), plus childcare and post-secondary expenses	Quebec's own child support model and regulation, which works differently from the federal guidelines
United States	Add-ons, additional child support, extraordinary expenses, or similar	Each state's child support guidelines and statutes, so the terms and rules vary by state

In Canada, provincial or territorial guidelines apply if you were never married, or if you are married and separated but have not applied for divorce. Manitoba, New Brunswick and Quebec are "designated provinces": when both parents live in one of them and are divorcing, that province's guidelines apply. Justice Canada notes that guidelines in most provinces and territories resemble the federal ones, except in Quebec.

What is usually covered

Canada: section 7

Section 7 of the Federal Child Support Guidelines lists six categories a court can add:

childcare the parent needs because of work, illness, disability, education or training;
the child's share of medical and dental insurance premiums;
health costs that exceed insurance reimbursement by at least $100 a year per illness or event, such as counselling, therapy, orthodontics and prescription drugs;
extraordinary costs for primary or secondary school, or other programs that meet the child's particular needs;
post-secondary education costs;
extraordinary costs for extracurricular activities.

A court looks at whether each cost is necessary and in the child's best interests, and whether it is reasonable given the parents' means and the family's spending before separation. "Extraordinary" in the school and activity categories is measured against what the parent asking for help could reasonably cover from their own income and the base support they receive.

Quebec: special expenses

Quebec's regulation groups added costs into three types: childcare expenses, post-secondary education expenses, and special expenses. Special expenses can include medical costs, primary or secondary schooling, other educational programs and extracurricular activities, where they relate to the child's particular situation. Each is reduced by any related subsidy, deduction or tax credit.

United States: add-ons

Every state decides for itself which costs are added and whether the court must add them or may choose to. A common pattern is that work-related childcare and the children's health insurance and uninsured medical costs are added routinely, while private school, extracurriculars and similar costs are left to the court's discretion. A few examples from state law:

California (Family Code section 4062): the court must add work or training related childcare and reasonable uninsured health care costs, and may add costs for a child's educational or other special needs and travel expenses for visitation.
New York (Domestic Relations Law section 240): childcare while the custodial parent works or studies and the children's health care costs not covered by insurance must be prorated between the parents; educational expenses may be awarded.
Florida (Statutes section 61.30): work-related childcare, the children's health insurance and their uncovered medical, dental and prescription costs are added to the basic obligation. Extraordinary medical, psychological, educational or dental expenses can justify a different amount.
Illinois (750 ILCS 5/505): the court must provide for the child's health needs and may order parents to contribute to childcare, extracurricular activities and school expenses.
Texas (Family Code chapter 154): support is a percentage of the paying parent's income. Childcare, uninsured medical costs and special or extraordinary educational or health care expenses are factors the court weighs when deciding whether to depart from the guideline amount, and health care coverage for the child is ordered under separate rules.

These are summaries, not the full rules. Check your own state's guidelines through your state page.

How they are shared

Canada. The guiding principle in section 7 is that parents share the cost in proportion to their incomes, after deducting any contribution from the child. Subsidies, benefits and tax deductions or credits connected to the cost are taken into account first. If one parent earns $60,000 and the other $40,000, they would usually pay 60% and 40% of the net cost.

Quebec. Added expenses are shared according to each parent's share of the two parents' combined disposable income, using the Quebec child support determination form.

United States. Many states split add-ons in proportion to each parent's share of combined income, but the method, the income measure and what is mandatory differ from state to state. Some fold the costs into the basic support figure; others order them paid separately as they come up.

Whatever the rule, a good agreement also says who must agree before a new cost is taken on, any amount above which consent is needed, how quickly the other parent reimburses, and when the percentages are updated as incomes change.

Records to keep

Receipts and invoices for every shared cost, with the date paid and who paid.
Insurance statements showing what was reimbursed, and any subsidy, benefit or tax credit received.
Written agreement (an email or app message is fine) before any new or large cost.
Each parent's share, the reimbursement request and the date it was paid.
Both parents' current incomes, so the percentages stay accurate each year.

A running ledger kept from the first month is much easier to defend than a box of receipts assembled when a dispute starts.

Free tools

Shared child expenses calculator: enter both incomes and a cost to see each parent's share.
Shared expense ledger: a free spreadsheet for tracking costs, insurance, approvals, shares and payments after you sign.
Table amount and child support: how the base amount is set.

Common questions

Are section 7 expenses the same as add-ons in the US?

They cover similar ground: costs for a child that are shared on top of base child support. The difference is the rulebook. Section 7 is one federal list used across most of Canada, while each US state decides which add-ons are mandatory, which are optional and how they are split.

Can one parent sign a child up for an activity and send the other half the bill?

Not safely. In Canada, a court looks at whether the cost was reasonable and necessary, and many US states treat activities as discretionary. Agreements usually require consent before new costs above a set amount. Get agreement in writing first.

Do shared child expenses still apply with shared parenting time?

Generally yes. Even when parenting time is shared and base support is adjusted, costs such as childcare, uninsured health care and activities are usually still shared separately under the agreement or the local guidelines.

What if incomes change?

The percentages should change too. Most agreements require parents to exchange income information each year and update the shares from a set date.

Official sources

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This page is legal information, not legal advice, and it is written for a general audience across Canada and the United States. Family law is provincial and state-based and changes over time. Before you rely on anything here for your own situation, confirm it with a qualified family lawyer in your province or state. FairWell can connect you with one through the professional directory.

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