Special Expenses in Tennessee Child Support Law
Special expenses are also called “add ons” in Tennessee child support calculations.
Adding Special Expenses to the Child Support Calculation Requires 7% Minimum
Adding Special Expenses to the Child Support Calculation Requires 7% Minimum
The court is required to take into consideration the expenses discussed above (health insurance, childcare, and medical expenses). In some cases, however, the court may decide that certain “add-on” expenses can also be taken into consideration. These are called “special expenses” in the Guidelines, and include things such as summer camp, music or art lessons, travel, and school extra-curricular activities such as band or sports. If your child travels playing a competitive sport like baseball, softball, or soccer, here is a chance to include the costs, fees, uniforms, gear, gas, and seemingly endless hotel rooms. In most cases, these expenses are not taken into consideration, because the Guidelines look at them as being part of the ordinary costs of parenting, which are already included in the BCSO. However, if these expenses are more than seven percent (7%) of the BCSO, then the court will determine whether there should be a deviation from the child support guidelines in that particular case.
For more information about Tennessee child support, see Tennessee Child Support Answers to FAQ’s, and for case law updates, analysis, and commentary, visit the MemphisDivorce.com Tennessee Family Law Blog and its Child Support category.
References, Resources and More:
- Tennessee Child Support Laws
- Tennessee Child Support Law Answers to FAQs
- Tennessee Child Support Modification Law | How to Modify Child Support
- When does Tennessee child support end for a parent of one child?
- Tennessee Parenting Plans and Child Support Worksheets: Building a Constructive Future for Your Family
