As Spooky Season is upon us, we family lawyer are often asked: “who pays for the children’s Halloween costumes?”.
If you have a Separation Agreement or Final Order, it may include a few lines about Halloween. If your Separation Agreement or Final Order is silent as to who pays for the costumes you’ll likely need to speak with the other parent and try to come to an agreement.
Often we recommend that the parent with care of the children on Halloween pays for the costumes. Unless otherwise agreed, Halloween costumes are generally not considered a special or extraordinary expense where both parents would be expected to proportionately contribute. The cost of a costume is a regular expense covered by table child support.
Notably, the updated 2025 Federal Child Support Tables came into effect on October 1, 2025. If you need assistance recalculating table child support, or have questions about special and extraordinary expenses and how they are calculated, we welcome you to connect with us.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter and is not legal advice. Specialist advice should be sought regarding your specific circumstance.