Abstract:
Parents are obliged to provide maintenance for their children. In calculating what is a reasonable amount of maintenance for a child, the question arises of what a reasonable expense is, and what a luxury is. The wealth of the parents is not the determining factor – even if the paying parent can well afford to pay for an item, they will not be required to do so if it is considered a luxury. This article argues that the distinguishing factor between a reasonable expense and a luxury is that the former promotes a child’s mental, emotional and psychological growth, while the latter merely gives a child who already has their basic and reasonable needs met, more ease, comfort, and pleasure.