Separated parents often agree on the basic idea of child support but run into conflict when the extra bills arrive. Summer camp. Hockey registration. Tournament travel. Dance costumes. Private tutoring. Orthodontics. These costs can be substantial, and they are not always handled the same way as ordinary monthly child support.
In Canada, these costs are often discussed as special or extraordinary expenses, commonly called section 7 expenses. For Alberta parents, understanding this framework can prevent a seasonal bill from becoming a larger parenting dispute.
Base child support and section 7 expenses are different
Base child support is the monthly table amount, usually calculated using the paying parent's income, the number of children, and the applicable child support table. It is meant to contribute to the ordinary costs of raising a child, such as food, clothing, housing, and everyday needs.
Section 7 expenses are different. They are additional expenses that may be shared on top of the base amount when they meet the legal test. The fact that a child wants to do an activity does not automatically make it a section 7 expense. The cost still has to fit within the framework.
What types of expenses can qualify?
The Federal Child Support Guidelines list categories of special or extraordinary expenses. In everyday family law files, the common categories include:
- child care needed because of a parent's work, illness, disability, education, or job training;
- health-related expenses not fully covered by insurance;
- extraordinary school or educational expenses;
- post-secondary expenses; and
- extraordinary extracurricular activities.
Summer camps, competitive sports, dance, music, tutoring, and travel tournaments usually fall into the extracurricular or educational categories, depending on the facts.
The key test: necessary and reasonable
For an expense to be shared as a section 7 expense, it generally needs to be necessary in relation to the child's best interests and reasonable in relation to the family's financial circumstances and spending pattern before separation.
That means parents should be asking practical questions:
- Is this activity genuinely good for the child?
- Was the child already involved before separation?
- Is the cost proportionate to the parents' incomes?
- Is there a lower-cost option that still meets the child's needs?
- Did both parents know about and agree to the expense before it was incurred?
Reasonableness is family-specific. A cost that is manageable for one household may be unrealistic for another.
When extracurricular activities become “extraordinary”
Not every activity fee is extraordinary. A modest local soccer registration or recreational class may be treated as an ordinary cost covered by base child support. A competitive program with major registration fees, equipment, coaching, hotels, and travel is more likely to be treated separately.
In Edmonton and across Alberta, disputes often arise around high-cost hockey, competitive dance, gymnastics, private music training, elite sports camps, and out-of-province tournaments. The larger and less predictable the cost, the more important advance discussion becomes.
How parents usually split section 7 expenses
When an expense qualifies, it is generally shared in proportion to the parents' incomes, not automatically split fifty-fifty. If one parent earns substantially more, that parent may pay a larger share of the net expense.
The word net matters. Contributions from the child, subsidies, benefits, tax deductions, insurance reimbursements, or credits may need to be considered before the parents divide the remaining cost.
Why advance consent matters
Many disputes start the same way: one parent signs the child up, pays the bill, and then asks the other parent to reimburse their share. The other parent responds that they were never consulted, cannot afford it, or would not have agreed.
Advance consent is not always legally decisive, but it is practically important. A parent is in a stronger position when they can show that the expense was discussed, documented, and reasonable before the money was spent.
Practical steps for Alberta co-parents
- Discuss major expenses before registration. Send the details, cost, schedule, and deadline in writing.
- Use net numbers. Account for grants, subsidies, insurance, reimbursements, or credits.
- Keep receipts. Vague screenshots and partial totals often create avoidable disputes.
- Put recurring costs in the agreement. If hockey, dance, or tutoring happens every year, spell out how approval and payment will work.
- Do not use expenses as leverage. The focus should remain on the child's interests and the family's ability to pay.
FAQ: section 7 expenses in Alberta
Are sports fees always section 7 expenses?
No. Recreational fees may be treated as ordinary expenses. Higher-cost or competitive activities are more likely to raise section 7 issues, especially where the cost is significant compared with the family's means.
Do parents split section 7 expenses equally?
Not usually. Once an expense qualifies, it is generally shared in proportion to the parents' incomes, after considering relevant contributions, subsidies, benefits, or credits.
What if one parent signs the child up without asking?
That can create a dispute. The answer depends on the expense, the child's history with the activity, the cost, the parents' incomes, and what the agreement or order says.
Practical takeaway
Section 7 expenses are not just “extra bills.” They have a legal framework. For Alberta parents, the strongest approach is to discuss significant expenses early, document the decision, and use the child's best interests and the family's actual means as the guide.
This article is general information only and is not legal advice. If you are dealing with a dispute over summer camp, sports travel, tutoring, or other child-related expenses, speak with a family lawyer about your specific agreement, order, and income information.