child support $ - and 'extra's

[mcr]

I give my ex full child support money from the government tables based on my earnings.

Last month her child tax credit was cut a fair bit, and I know it'll be cut a fair bit next year. In addition, she isn't getting day care subsidy anymore (she's finally got a job after 14 years of me supporting her).

She's hounding me for more money to offset the child tax credit decrease... and to pay for half of day care costs..and on top of it all,thinking I should be paying her $$$'s for back to school 'help'.

I've paid her a bit extra this month - but, I was supposed to be moving at the end of the month -- the extra she told me I had to pay for half of day care, has me now living in my car for September since I gave her my first/last month rent money. On top of that, she says since I obviously can't take my kids on weekends (while living in my car), she wants even more $$ to pay a babysitter so she can 'go out' on the weekends to get away from the kids to destress (funny, when I have the kids, there never seems to be any stress).


Can anyone out there clarify what my financial obligations are on top of the government guidelines? When she tells me I have extra/special expenses to pay for, that always causes me serious financial hardship (I have significant debts that I'm stuck with since our separation). So, many times I have to cut out one or two meals of the day, or in the case of September- live out of my car (which I did a couple times last year too from the same situation).

Can she be doing this?
Her financial situation is different than mine. She has osap debt - but doesn't care as she always takes my kids out for food, has bought a ton of new stuff for back to school, is regularly buying new furniture, etc etc. Obviously I can't control where child support money goes -- but I'd like to be able to 'breath' and these 'extra' pressures she tosses in regularly make it impossible. Can I just say no without worry of any (legal) repercussions? I'm not trying to be an ass about the extra's -- but paying her extra's pretty much puts me on the street.




thanks for some advice!

[dadtotheend]

The extra expenses to which you refer are commonly called Section 7 expenses. Do a google search on Section 7 expenses and you will find lots of information.

[FL_Needs_To_Change]

The day care for work or to attend school are to be split relative to your income. It is a ratio of your income to hers.
As for the occasional night out, you are not responsible for covering the costs of her social life, nor are you responsible for the decrease in the CTC benefit.
The CTC benefit is to help low income families, and since she is starting to earn, then they cut the amount relative to her income. So basically she is not earning less, she is earning about the same except part of it is now earned and the balance is CTC.

Generally when you have debt as a result of the marriage/separation, then this is factored in when determining the section 7 extra expenses. So this would further reduce your proportionate share of extra expenses.

Since there seems to be a significant difference in standard of living you could always apply for undue hardship relative to your CS coupled with the cost to maintain a home for reasonable access, and costs of access, plus these extra expenses. I would seek undue hardship, generally it is difficult to prove, but if you are living in a car several months of the year you should have a strong case for reduced CS plus little to no extra expenses.