Question on extra expenses for the kids

Here’s a quick background:

My soon to be ex husband and I have been separated for over a year. We’ll be filing sometime within a month or two.

He makes about 79k per year, and I make 41,600 per year. He gives me $150 every other week. He pays for our 2 children’s med insurance. The monthly child support is not an issue and it’s not through the court, just something we agreed on together. Things are pretty civil between us. We share custody of the children, both of them spend time at my place and his place evenly.

Here is my question. If there are miscellaneous expenses for the kids, for example, car insurance, should we split it 50/50?. Our 17 yr old will be getting her driver’s license soon and we’ll be helping her with insurance until she gets a job. Should I pay 50 percent for my share? Or should I pay less because I make less money?

Other misc expenses that come up here and there like maybe a uniform for sports. Should I pay half? Or should I pay less because I make less money?

I brought this up to my ex the other day and he wasn’t very happy. He said that since he already pays me child support, other expenses should be 50/50 between us. I told him that I would look into it and that maybe he’s right and I’m wrong. I brought it up because I wanted to see how he felt about it. Well he doesn’t think it’s fair to him. So I told him that I would look into it and we can discuss it further. And like I said, I might be wrong in thinking that I should pay less because I make less money. If I’m wrong then so be it.

So should I pay half of everything on other expenses for the kids?

Thanks in advance!

I have a meeting with my ex tomorrow and I want to be able to tell him that yes he’s correct that we should do 50/50 on other expenses for the kids, or that he’s wrong and I should pay less for my share. If I can get a response today that would be great. Sorry to sound so impatient. Lol. I’ve been thinking about this all night and I want to know what I should do. Thanks so much for reading.

I would suggest you split the expenses according to your pro-rata share of income, in your case 35%/ 65%. While the courts don’t always order extra expenses to be paid this way, it is an equitablle manner of dividing these extra costs.

Thank you so much for the quick reply!

Have a great day.

You are most welcome. I wish you all the best.

Thank you Erin. I will recommend you if anyone ever ask me for a suggestion on a lawyer!