Extracurricular activities are an important part of the lives of many children and it has not been expressly addressed in any published opinion of the Nevada Supreme Court. When it is in the best interests of a child to participate in specific extracurricular activities and both parents have the means to contribute in some capacity, it should be the public policy of this state to deviate from the statutory formula to pay for the costs. This is especially true where specific extra-curricular activities have been a fundamental part of the child’s life for years.
Pecos Las Group currently has a case pending with the Nevada Supreme Court that addresses this specific issue. It is our position that the child support guidelines should be interpreted broadly and both parents should be responsible for extracurricular activities if they are “reasonable.” When considering whether a request to deviate from the presumptive child support amount is reasonable, the district court should be required to analyze the deviation factors and make a determination as to whether a deviation from the presumptive statutory child support amount would be in the child’s best interests with attention to the parties’ relative financial means and the child’s historical participation in a particular activity.