A California child support order may involve more than the monthly amount produced by the statewide guideline calculation. Certain child-related expenses are treated as additional child support and are addressed separately from the basic guideline amount. Understanding these “add-on” expenses is important because a parent’s total financial obligation may include both regular monthly child support and a share of qualifying expenses.

Some Expenses Are Mandatory Child Support Add-Ons

California family law identifies certain expenses that the court is required to address as additional child support. These include qualifying childcare expenses and reasonable uninsured health care costs for the children.

Qualifying childcare expenses include costs actually incurred in connection with employment or reasonably necessary education or training for employment skills, unless those costs are specifically included in the guideline calculation.

This means childcare is not limited exclusively to situations in which a parent is currently at work. Education or training designed to develop employment skills may also qualify when the applicable requirements are met.

Reasonable uninsured health care expenses for the children are another mandatory addition. These expenses are separate from the ordinary guideline child support calculation. Subject to applicable limitations concerning health coverage, amounts actually paid for a child’s uninsured health care needs are presumed reasonable unless that presumption is overcome.

Additional Support Is Generally Divided According to Adjusted Net Incomes

A common misconception is that child support add-ons are necessarily divided equally between the parents. Under the current California rules, additional child support is generally allocated in proportion to the parents’ adjusted net incomes unless a parent requests, or the court determines, that the expenses should be divided differently.

The basic guideline child support obligation is calculated first. The additional expenses are then allocated separately.

The calculation used to determine the parents’ respective shares includes specific adjustments. For example, when one parent pays child support to the other, that payment affects the income used for purposes of allocating additional support. Spousal support being paid between the parents may also be accounted for when their incomes are recalculated for this purpose.

As a result, a parent’s percentage responsibility for an add-on expense should not automatically be assumed to be 50 percent merely because there are two parents.

Uninsured Health Care Expenses Have Reimbursement Procedures

California law also establishes procedures for handling uninsured health care costs. A court order addressing those expenses must identify the time period in which one parent must reimburse the other for that parent’s share.

A parent who incurs or pays a covered expense generally must provide the other parent with an itemized statement, proof of payment, and a request for payment or reimbursement within the applicable period.

The parent responsible for reimbursement must then pay according to the time specified in the court order or the otherwise applicable reimbursement rules. Importantly, simply disagreeing with a requested uninsured health care expense does not necessarily permit a parent to refuse payment. Under the reimbursement procedure, a parent disputing a request may be required to pay the requested amount and then seek relief from the court.

The court may consider relevant circumstances in disputes involving these expenses, including available health coverage, emergency treatment, a child’s special medical needs, and a parent’s ability to make the required reimbursement.

Monthly Guideline Support May Be Only Part of the Obligation

California child support does not necessarily end with the monthly guideline number. Qualifying childcare and reasonable uninsured health care costs may create additional support obligations, and the parents’ shares are determined under rules that are distinct from the basic guideline calculation. Understanding both the underlying expense and the required allocation and reimbursement procedures can help parents determine what the child support order actually requires them to pay.