School trips and child maintenance: who pays?

School trips can add up, and if you're divorced or receiving child maintenance, you may be wondering who pays for extra school expenses? We get answers

School trips can be a great part of your child's education. However, the costs can add up. And if you're divorced or getting child maintenance you may be wondering, who has to pay for school trips?

In theory, as a result of the divorce agreement, divorced parents might have a legal obligation to contribute to their child's education. And that can include school trips. In reality, the responsibility largely depends on the specific arrangements you made in your divorce settlement, custody agreement or child maintenance.

• £2,500 school trip sparks fury among parents

And as any divorced parent knows, it can also rely a lot on how good your relationship is with your ex. We give you the legal answers around school trips and child maintenance, as well as advice on how to negotiate the topic with your ex.

We know from conversations in our Forum that the costs of school trips can be a flashpoint between exes.

Are school trips included in child maintenance?

The quick answer is ... it depends. Child maintenance is supposed to contribute to the living expenses of the child.

However, whether school trips have been included in that is based on whether or not it was something you thought about and negotiated upfront.

Can I forget my ex to pay for school trips?

While you might see school trips as an extra expense that you weren't expecting, you can't force your ex to contribute or pay for it over and above regular child maintenance.

According to Watson Thomas Solicitors, a firm of family law solicitors with offices in Hampshire and Surrey, this falls outside of the regular money arrangements.

'If the non-resident parent is paying child maintenance in accordance with the relevant child maintenance guidelines, there is no obligation on them to provide additional financial support to cover the cost of clubs and other activities,' they write on their site.

With extras for things like school trips, your ex may see this as something you should take care of out of the money you're getting via child maintenance. If you have sole or majority custody, they may see it as part of your 'responsibility' along with other day-to-day care and decisions.

How to get your ex to contribute to school trips

With the rising cost of food and other household costs, you may find it difficult to stretch your budget to solely cover the costs of a school trip.

However, even if your divorce agreement doesn't already cover the costs, it's worth approaching your ex and seeing if they cover part of all of the expenses. Try this steps:

1. Bring up the idea in a neutral way as a 'discussion', not a demand
2. Don't approach them at drop-off or pick-up, which can often be a stressful, harried moment as you hand over your child's bag and deal with your child's emotions about the transition
3. Emphasise that this isn't a request for your benefit, but something for the child, to benefit them
4. Provide all the facts about the school trip, including the information the school has sent and the costs plus any extras. Don't forget to budget for special things your child might need to take along, such as a specific type of footwear like hiking boots or camping equipment.
5. Highlight how beneficial the trip will be for your child(ren) and be as specific as possible. For example, does it cover a school topic such as history or science that they are really excited about? Is it in an interesting part of the country or world that they would really benefit in visiting? Are a lot of their friends going so it will be a great bonding experience?
6. Stress how supervised school outings can build confidence and self-esteem
7. Emphasise that the costs associated with the trip are reasonable (if they are) or that they are being well-spent. For example, yes, this is a bit pricey but the children will get to meet, say, a real palaeontologist or get access to an activity they wouldn't otherwise get to do.
8. Introduce the idea then give them time to think about it
9. Don't use pester power – It might seem helpful to get your child involved in lobbying for the trip, but it could leave your ex feeling ganged up on (and less likely to say yes). And it could set up your child for disappointment.
10. Set a time to actually make a decision together so you don't get a knee-jerk 'no' because they haven't had time to think about it properly and look at their finances
11. Be prepared for them to say no. Sometimes we don't know the full extent of our ex's financial situation. It's good to have a backup plan in place. See below for other ways to afford a school trip.

Other ways to pay for school trips

Inquire about grants or bursaries – Talk to your school about any bursary or fund to cover the cost for children whose parents can't contribute

Reach out to the PTA – Ask if they have a fund or could help with raising the money

Check with your local council or education authority – They may offer some help. For example, Greenwich Borough offers help to pay for the board and lodging of some school trips that are 2 nights or more.

Contact Citizen's Advice – School trips fall under educational costs and it may be able to point you to other sources of funding

Ask your school if they've sought grants – Schools can apply for grants to cover the costs of school trips, especially ones with a nature, cultural or creative focus

Set up a personal GoFundMe page – Reach out to your wider group of family and friends. If they can each contribute a little, it will really add up. A contribution can be in lieu of an expensive birthday or Christmas gift, or your child could do errands or other small tasks to 'earn' the money