Extra Costs for Children: What They Are and How to Split Them?
Extraordinary expenses are unpredictable or significant costs for children (school, health, sports) not covered by the monthly allowance and are typically split 50/50.
What are Extraordinary Expenses in Brief?
Generally, extraordinary expenses are all those costs that are not included in the normal daily maintenance food, housing, hygiene because they are unpredictable, exceptional, or significant in amount. In 2026, the basic rule is that these expenses are split 50% between parents, unless a judge has established a different proportion based on income e.g., 60/40 or 70/30. To learn more about calculating the monthly share, consult our Guide to Child Support Payments 2026/guides/child-support-payments-guide-2026.
Types of Expenses: Mandatory vs. Optional
Not all extra expenses require the prior consent of both parents. Case law updated to 2026 usually divides them into three areas: 1. Mandatory Expenses without prior agreement: School fees, textbooks, urgent medical expenses, or national health service costs co-payments. 2. Expenses Subject to Consent: Sports, language courses, school trips with overnight stays, non-essential cosmetic surgery, or private dentistry. 3. Pre-Agreed Expenses: All activities already started during the cohabitation that continue after separation. For a detailed list of legal terms, you can consult our Family Law Glossary/glossary/extra-fixed-expenses.
How to Request Reimbursement and 2026 Deadlines
To avoid conflicts, standard practice in 2026 suggests that the parent incurring the expense should send a formal request even via email or traceable messaging to the other parent. - If the expense requires consent, the other parent usually has 10-15 days to express a reasoned dissent. - In the absence of a response tacit agreement, the expense is considered approved. - Reimbursement of the share usually 50% must occur upon presentation of tax-deductible receipts invoices or itemized till receipts within the deadlines set by the court ruling or separation agreement. If you have doubts about specific medical costs, read our FAQ on Medical Expenses/faq/medical-expenses-extraordinary-list.