Raising a child comes with many expenses beyond the basics. For example, private school tuition, competitive sports, tutoring, music lessons and summer programs can quickly add thousands of dollars to a family’s annual budget.
When parents are separated or divorced, determining who is responsible for these costs can lead to confusion and conflict. Whether an expense is covered by basic child support or requires an additional contribution often depends on the type of expense, the parents’ agreement and the circumstances of the child.
Is private school tuition included in child support?
New Jersey’s Child Support Guidelines do not include private, parochial or other school tuition in the basic child support schedules. Instead, tuition may be treated as a supplemental expense.
Existing agreements are equally crucial. For example, a 2026 New Jersey appellate decision addressed parents whose marital settlement agreement required joint educational decisions and prohibited either parent from financially obligating the other without agreement.
The court concluded that one parent could not unilaterally enroll the child in private school and then require the other to contribute contrary to those terms.
What about sports and other activities?
The rules for extracurricular activities are different. New Jersey’s guidelines include many ordinary entertainment and recreational expenses within basic support. These can include sports, lessons, hobbies, recreational activities and related equipment.
However, unusually large or nonrecurring expenses may require separate consideration. A recent appellate decision emphasized the need to differentiate ordinary extracurricular costs included in child support from extraordinary expenses that fall outside the basic award.
Who should pay when parents disagree?
A disagreement over a $50 activity fee is very different from a dispute involving thousands of dollars in annual tuition or competitive sports expenses. Before committing to a major expense or refusing to contribute, it’s important to review one’s existing child support and custody orders carefully. A legal team can evaluate those documents and explain whether a particular expense is addressed in enforceable ways or may require additional contributions from a willing parent.