Regardless of whether your child is pursuing sports or the arts, this passion of theirs can become the focal point of their life.
We recently discussed how your child’s participation in a new extracurricular activity can affect your child custody arrangement. Additionally, parents must also figure out how to fund their child’s hobbies. In some cases, this can directly impact the child support agreement parents have in place.
Is it possible to modify support payments for activities?
In short, yes. In North Carolina, parents can generally request modifications for support payments when considerable changes impact either:
- The child’s needs
- The parent’s ability to pay
A child participating in an extracurricular activity could very well be such a change. With enrollment fees, equipment prices and potential travel costs, it does not take long for the expenses to add up.
Your child’s involvement in sports or other activities could directly increase their need for financial support. Therefore, this financial change is something co-parents must address, which could potentially lead to a modification of child support.
But is a modification necessary?
The answer to that question depends on your specific circumstances. For example, if you and your ex-spouse agree to divide the expenses evenly, then you may not have to modify the support agreement or payments. (Though, it is advisable to keep a detailed record of all the expenses so you can indeed divide them fairly.)
Modifying agreements is not necessarily a requirement when circumstances change. However, it is an option you may wish to consider to ensure the terms are binding. That way, you can ensure your child obtains the financial support they need.