MIDDLE GROUND

What’s considered a fair cost breakdown in a child maintenance agreement?

Raphuti sets it out as follows:

Monthly cash payments: The maintenance amount is usually paid to the parent who has primary care of the child. The maintenance order will state the amount, as well as when and how payment is to be made. There is usually an annual increase on the anniversary of the maintenance order. The increase is either by CPI (Consumer Price Index), as notified by Statistics SA (or its equivalent).

Medical expenses: If parents can afford private medical care, both parents must pay for the child’s medical needs. This is usually done by one parent making cash contributions to the other parent’s medical aid, or having the child in the medical aid schemes of both parents. The parents must pay for all the child’s necessary and reasonable medical needs. Elective procedures should ideally be discussed by both parents before they are done.

Educational costs: Educational costs are school expenses, including sports, recreational and school trips. These costs include the mandatory activities that the school requires the child to partake in, including gadgets, equipment, school uniforms and costumes. Tertiary educational costs: Maintenance does not stop when a child turns 18, it continues until a child is self-supporting. For example, if a child wants to go to tertiary and the parents can afford it, the parents are obligated to contribute to the child’s tertiary education.