Gym Membership

[dra.navarro]

What is the name of your state? California

By law, am I obligated to pay a gym membership and private school, additionally to the child support payment?What is the name of your state?What is the name of your state?

 

[CourtClerk]

Unless there is something specifically written as to private school tuition or gym membership, no, you are not legally obligated to pay for extras such as private school tuition or gym membership for your child.

Now... if you have a child that still requires before/after school care, you may be required to pay the portion of the tuition that would cover extended daycare.

 

[MrsK]

What is the name of your state? California

By law, am I obligated to pay a gym membership and private school, additionally to the child support payment?What is the name of your state?What is the name of your state?

I have never heard of someone being ordered to pay for a gym membership. That's pretty ridiculous IMO.

& yeah unless your current order says you must do it, its unlikely you will be ordered to do so...

 

[nextwife]

You mean a gym membership and private school isn't something that's NECESSARY to raise a responsible and healthy child?

OMG! Are you thinking of depriving your child of something so very IMPORTANT for a successful life? I am shocked. Shocked, I tell you!

 

[CourtClerk]

I know you guys are being funny, but I actually HAVE heard of instances where a parent has been ordered to pay for things such as gym memberships. Now, they are extremely rare, but in one case, the child was a professionally trained (ranked nationally) athlete (in some sport) and the judge ordered both parents to share in the cost of training and gym memberships.

As for private school, usually only if it's agreed between both parties.

 

[mb94]

The Gym Membership seems crazy, UNLESS the child has some type of medical condition that is being addressed by the gym membership. i.e. if the child is obese and the gym membership is part of an overall medically supervised weight loss program.

I'm not saying it would be a sure thing you'd have to pay in that case. But I think a good argument could be made that, in that case, the gym membership would be a medical expense and should be treated as such.

As for private school, unless the order addresses it, you don't have to pay for it. However, the CP could take it to court and get private school included. If the child was in private school before the divorce, there is a reasonable chance that you will be paying at least part of the tuition. While private school is not something the child NEEDS, the courts want to minimize the changes that the child has to go through after the divorce. So, if you guys made the decision to put the kid in public school during the marriage, and they are used to going to that school, it is very likely that the courts will want to continue that arrangement.

To sum up; you don't have to pay for anything unless it is in the order. However, the CP can always take you back to court and have things added to the order if the court decides it is reasonable.

 

[jbowman]

I am in CA and I have a thought on this one. In my CO, mom and dad split the cost of daycare/summer camp etc. When signing my child up for summer camp, I was charged a membership fee (thus gym membership?) to the YMCA. Camp was actually cheaper if my child was a member. I did this and submitted to dad to reimburse. The thing was though that it was the same price to become a member and pay reduced summer camp fee or to not be a member and pay full price for summer camp. Being a member would benefit later for future daycare/summer camp enrollments.