Key Takeaways
- Section 7 expenses sit on top of the base table amount of child support and cover defined categories: childcare, the child's share of medical insurance premiums, health costs, certain school expenses, post-secondary education, and extraordinary extracurriculars.
- They are usually shared in proportion to the parents' incomes, adjusted where spousal support is paid, and the sharing is based on the net cost after tax credits, subsidies, and benefits.
- An expense must be necessary in relation to the child's best interests and reasonable given the family's means and its spending pattern before separation.
- Expenses can be estimated and claimed prospectively. A parent does not have to pay everything out of pocket first and hope for reimbursement.
The base table amount of child support covers the ordinary costs of raising children. It does not cover daycare for a working parent, braces, or a competitive hockey season, and that is where Section 7 of the Federal Child Support Guidelines comes in. Section 7 expenses, often called special or extraordinary expenses, are the second layer of child support, and in many families they are where the real money and the real disputes live. Here is how the categories, the sharing formula, and the fights actually work. For the base layer, start with our guide to how child support is calculated in Alberta.
The Categories
- Childcare needed because of the parent's work, illness, disability, or education or training for employment.
- Medical and dental insurance premiums attributable to the child.
- Health-related expenses beyond insurance reimbursement, such as orthodontics, counselling, prescriptions, glasses, or speech therapy, where they exceed a modest annual threshold.
- Extraordinary school expenses for primary or secondary education or other educational programs that meet the child's particular needs.
- Post-secondary education expenses.
- Extraordinary extracurricular activities. Ordinary community sports and lessons are expected to come out of the table amount; the elite travel team, competitive dance, or high-level music program can qualify here.
For school and extracurricular costs, "extraordinary" is assessed against the recipient household's income: an expense that would strain that budget on its own, or that is exceptional given its nature, number, or the family's circumstances, can qualify. The same activity can be extraordinary in one family and ordinary in another.
The Two Gatekeepers: Necessity and Reasonableness
Not everything in a qualifying category gets shared. The expense must be necessary in relation to the child's best interests, and reasonable in light of the parents' means, the child's needs, and the family's spending pattern before separation. A child who has skied competitively for five years has a strong claim to keep skiing. Enrolling a child in three new premium programs the year after separation, at the other parent's expense, gets a colder reception. The pre-separation pattern is the anchor.
How the Sharing Works
Section 7 expenses are usually shared in proportion to the parents' guideline incomes. Where spousal support flows between the parents, incomes are adjusted for it before the proportions are set, so the sharing reflects what each household actually has. Two mechanics matter more than parents expect:
- The net cost is what gets shared. Subsidies, benefits, and tax credits tied to the expense come off the top. Childcare is the classic example: the deduction or benefit it generates can materially reduce the true cost, and the sharing is based on that lower figure.
- Estimates are allowed. Expenses can be claimed prospectively based on reasonable estimates, with a true-up when actual figures are known. A parent facing a $4,000 orthodontic plan or September daycare fees does not have to finance it alone and litigate for reimbursement afterwards.
Where the Disputes Come From, and How to Avoid Them
Most Section 7 conflict is process failure rather than principle: one parent enrols, spends, and invoices the other after the fact. The predictable objection follows. The habits that prevent it:
- Consult before committing to significant new expenses. Agreement up front is the cheapest dispute resolution there is, and courts notice unilateral spending.
- Keep the paper. Receipts, insurance statements, subsidy confirmations, and benefit amounts, so the net cost is provable.
- Reconcile on a schedule. Quarterly or semi-annual settlements with documents attached beat a shoebox audit every few years.
- Define the list. A good separation agreement or parenting plan names the current Section 7 expenses, the sharing proportions, and the process for adding new ones. Our guide to separation agreements covers where this belongs in the larger document.
Where parents genuinely disagree, the question is decided under the same framework: category, necessity, reasonableness, net cost. Business-owner payors add one more layer, because guideline income itself may be in dispute, a topic we cover in child support for high income earners.
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as a Section 7 expense in Alberta?
The defined categories: work-related childcare, the child's medical and dental insurance premiums, health costs beyond insurance, extraordinary school expenses, post-secondary education, and extraordinary extracurricular activities, each filtered by necessity and reasonableness.
Are sports and activities covered by child support?
Ordinary activities are expected to come out of the base table amount. Extraordinary ones, competitive or high-cost programs judged against the family's circumstances, can be shared as Section 7 expenses.
How are Section 7 expenses split between parents?
Usually in proportion to guideline incomes, adjusted where spousal support is paid, and based on the net cost after subsidies, benefits, and tax credits tied to the expense.
Does my ex have to agree before I incur an expense?
Consent is not strictly required for an expense to qualify, but consultation is expected, and unilateral spending invites both conflict and judicial skepticism. Consult first wherever possible.
Do Section 7 expenses have to be paid before they can be claimed?
No. The Guidelines allow expenses to be estimated and shared prospectively, with adjustment when actual amounts are known. Waiting for reimbursement is not the design.
Get the Second Layer Right
Section 7 is where child support meets real family budgets, and where net-cost math, benefits, and income proportions decide the outcome. That is financial analysis, and it is what we do. Learn more about our child support services, run your numbers through the free Alberta child support calculator, or book a confidential consultation or call (403) 804-0497.
This article is general information about Alberta family law and is not legal advice. Reading it does not create a solicitor-client relationship. Every situation is different, and you should speak with a lawyer about your specific circumstances.
William Aadil Musani is a Calgary family lawyer and the founder of Cunningham Family Law. Before family law, he practiced corporate law, tax law, and M&A with international firms and a Tier-1 Canadian tax boutique, experience he now applies to financially complex divorce and separation matters. More about William →