Q: What does extracurricular activities above and beyond the standard schooling curriculum include?
I'm paying $1,800 a month in child support and then it says as additional child support the parties agree to equally share the costs of extracurricular activities above and beyond the standard schooling curriculum. I am wondering what that includes? My ex-wife is signing the kids up for voice lessons, guitar lessons, piano lessons, Girl Scout trips to other states, soccer camp, summer soccer! She does this without talking to me about any of it first I just get the bills for half of it. She is signing them up for everything. Am I legally responsible for paying for all of that isn't that what my child support of $1,800 a month should be paying for. I read that extracurricular actually means extra help in school such as for Disabilities Etc. Please help me figure out what to do I am living in North Dakota now and I'm not sure of the Minnesota laws.
A: An agreement to share extracurricular activity expenses is an obligation that is in addition to the guideline basic, medical and childcare support order. Based on the information you provided, it appears you and your ex-wife agreed to equally share the cost of extracurricular activities for the children without defining exactly what those activities include. Without any specific activities identified in your decree, "extracurricular activities" may include all of the activities you indicate the children are being signed up for by your ex-wife. If your decree requires you and your ex-wife to mutually agree upon extracurricular activities for your children, you may not be financially responsible for those activities she enrolled the children without your prior approval. Even if your decree does not limit extracurricular activities to those mutually agreed upon, you may be relieved of the obligation to pay for some of the activities if they are deemed excessive and not representative of what the children had historically done. You would likely benefit from having an experienced family law lawyer review your divorce decree to provide you a more detailed analysis of your situation.
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