Legal Question in Family Law in Illinois

You can't stop your ex from dragging you back into court but you can try and put yourself in the best possible light before he does. If your agreement does not specifically mention braces or orthodontia, then it is an ancillary matter that the two of you are supposed to try and agree upon. That being the case you need to document in a letter to your husband that you are unable to aford the braces at this time. If your son needs the braces badly then you might want to add that you support the decision to have the braces installed and can contribute X dollars either at this time or at a later date toward the cost. Braces are not generally a medical necessity unless the child's teeth are so bad that they are disfiguring or cause health problems. If your husband truly believes that they are a present necessity and not just a rite of passage, then he'll go ahead and have them done and pay for them. Spliting the cost of the braces doesn't mean that you've got to come up with an equal amount of money anytime the other side does.