Section 7 Expenses Ontario: How to Split Extraordinary Child Costs

Your child needs braces. Or hockey registration is due. Or summer camp fees just landed in your inbox. These costs sit outside basic monthly child support — and if you and your co-parent can't agree on who pays what, Section 7 of the Federal Child Support Guidelines has the answer.

Section 7 expenses are the "special or extraordinary" costs that go beyond the day-to-day expenses covered by the standard table amount. Understanding how they work prevents one of the most common sources of post-separation conflict in Ontario.

What Qualifies as a Section 7 Expense

Not every child-related cost qualifies. Under the Guidelines, Section 7 covers two categories:

Necessary expenses that don't need to be extraordinary:

• Childcare costs required for employment, education, or training
• Health-related expenses not covered by insurance (dental, orthodontics, therapy, prescription eyeglasses)

Extraordinary expenses that must be both necessary and reasonable:

• Extracurricular activities (hockey, dance, music lessons, competitive sports)
• Primary and secondary school expenses beyond the public system
• Post-secondary education costs

The court applies a two-part test: the expense must be in the child's best interests, and it must be reasonable given the family's combined income and pre-separation spending patterns. If the family never spent money on competitive figure skating before separation, a judge may not order both parents to fund it now.

How the Proportional Split Works

Section 7 expenses are shared between parents in proportion to their respective incomes — not split 50/50.

Here's the calculation: if Parent A earns $90,000 and Parent B earns $60,000, the combined household income is $150,000. Parent A is responsible for 60% of each qualifying expense, and Parent B covers the remaining 40%.

The split applies to the net cost after subsidies, insurance reimbursements, tax credits, and any third-party contributions are deducted. Always reduce the gross expense to its net amount before dividing.

Common Disputes and How to Prevent Them

Three issues trigger most Section 7 conflicts:

Consent before enrollment. Ontario courts generally expect both parents to agree on an extraordinary expense before one parent commits to it. If Parent A enrolls the child in a $5,000 hockey program without discussing it with Parent B, a court may not order Parent B to pay their share.

Documentation requirements. Keep receipts, invoices, and proof of payment for every claimed expense. Courts have denied reimbursement claims where the requesting parent couldn't produce documentation.

The "reasonable" threshold. A family earning $80,000 combined may not be ordered to share the cost of $15,000 annual private school tuition. The expense must be reasonable relative to the family's financial means.

Building Section 7 Into Your Parenting Plan

The best way to avoid disputes is to address Section 7 expenses directly in your parenting plan or separation agreement. Include:

• A clear list of which activities and expenses both parents agree to fund
• A process for proposing new expenses (written notice with cost breakdown, response deadline)
• A documentation protocol (receipts shared within 30 days, reimbursement within 60 days)
• A dispute resolution mechanism before either parent can take the issue to court

The Ontario Child Custody & Parenting Plan Guide includes a Section 7 expense tracker worksheet that helps you document costs, calculate proportional shares, and build these clauses into your agreement.

The Relationship Between Section 7 and Parenting Time

Section 7 expenses are separate from the basic table amount, but your parenting schedule can affect how they're managed practically. If both parents share parenting time roughly equally, coordinating who pays upfront for activities and how reimbursement works becomes even more important.

Some parents designate one parent as the "primary payer" for specific categories (Parent A handles all medical expenses, Parent B handles all extracurricular fees), then reconcile quarterly based on the income-proportional split.

Whatever system you choose, put it in writing. Verbal agreements about Section 7 expenses are the single most common source of ongoing co-parenting conflict in Ontario family law.

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