Legal Question in Family Law in Canada

Re: minor children

This is not a legal question; in any part of the country if a child has a job, he or she whould be expected to assume the responsibility of contributing to the family expenses. It shouold not, in most cases, be what commercial rent would be but should reflect that the child is growing up and beginning to assume adult responsibilities.

The child and his or her parents should work out a budget for the child for the coming year, assuming that the parents will be contributing to the child's clothing and recreational expenses as well as personal grooming, toiletries, books and incidental expenses over the next school year.

It is almost inevitable that the child's expenses over the next year will exceed his or her ability to save from the summer job so the parents will be subsidizing the child, but while the child is working full-time, the child should be required to save (we suggest 75% of take home pay) for the next year's expenses, take some funds for summer recreational expenses (we suggest 15% of take home pay) and be required to limit his or her own recreational expenses to that amount, and pay the balance (we suggest 10%) as room and board.