How Do we Share Medical Costs for our Kids?

When you’re married, you share costs. It’s what you do. You need food; the money comes from both spouses. Your car breaks down; you both pay for it. Your kid gets sick; you both contribute money to pay for doctors and medicine.

And then you divorce, and everything changes.

Suddenly, no one wants to pay for anything. Child support is like pulling teeth. Alimony, well, no one wants to pay alimony.

But while no one wants to pay, kids still get sick and need medical care. So, how do divorced couples share medical costs for their kids?

Utah Law Regarding Sharing Medical Costs for Children

Let’s see what Utah law has to say. First, the law lays out a few things that have to go in divorce decrees and paternity orders:

The court shall include the following in its order:

(1) a provision assigning responsibility for the payment of reasonable and necessary medical expenses for the dependent children;
(2) a provision requiring the purchase and maintenance of appropriate insurance for the medical expenses of dependent children, if coverage is or becomes available at a reasonable cost; and
(3) provisions for income withholding, in accordance with Title 62A, Chapter 11, Part 4, Income Withholding in IV-D Cases, and Part 5, Income Withholding in Non IV-D Cases.

Utah Code, Section 78B-12-111.

So, you have to assign responsibility to pay for medical expenses, and you must purchase medical insurance for your kids (provided the cost isn’t prohibitively expensive).

Now that we understand what must be included in a divorce decree or paternity order, the law also tells us how medical costs should be shared:

(3) The order shall require each parent to share equally the out-of-pocket costs of the premium actually paid by a parent for the children’s portion of insurance unless the court finds good cause to order otherwise.

. . . .

(6) The order shall, in accordance with Subsection 30-3-5(1)(b), include a cash medical support provision that requires each parent to equally share all reasonable and necessary uninsured and unreimbursed medical and dental expenses incurred for the dependent children, including but not limited to deductibles and copayments unless the court finds good cause to order otherwise.

Utah Code, Section 78B-12-212.

So, the law mandates parents will share equally medical costs for children.

You can always bargain around a 50/50 split, but if you go to trial, you can pretty much count on a judge ordering 50/50.

How Medical Costs Are Split in Real Life Utah Divorce and Child Custody Cases.

We talked about the law, but how does all this work out in most Utah divorce and paternity cases?

You end up sharing equally medical costs for your kids — almost always.

There are some select situations in which one person makes so much more than the other that one person pays 100%. This really only happens in negotiation though; I have never seen a judge order someone to pay 100% of medical costs on a permanent basis.

Protect Your Money And Your Family

We remove fear associated with divorce, protect your money & maximize time with your kids!

We're here to help. Let's determine your best options.

Call Us 24//7 at 801-685-9999 to Speak with a Live Representative

Utah Divorce FAQs
Top 100 Divorce Blog
What Clients Are Saying…
BrownLaw icon
Excellent
Brown Family Law
Based on 1013 reviews
Worked with Nick and Carren they did an awesome job with a difficult situation. The whole Brown law team was excellent to work with. I would highly recommend them to anyone that needs thier services. Thank you Nick and Carren also the rest of the team. On a side note everyone i delt with was very friendly! Thank you again!
Clay is the best
Clay was fantastic. I really appreciated his professionalism and knowledge. I would absolutely recommend him to anyone needing his services.
Helped me with everything, supported me in all my decisions! Communication is top notch! Never worked with a lawyer who was so easy to get a hold of! They are the best!
Daniel is a wizard. He’s incredibly knowledgeable and has a real gift for walking you through stressful situations with clarity and calm. He makes the process feel easy when it could otherwise be overwhelming. Highly recommend working with him!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Navigating a divorce is never easy, and I am so grateful to have had the support of attorney Nathaniel Garrabrandt and paralegal Carren Leavitt. From start to finish, they were responsive, professional, and compassionate. I really appreciated the weekly check-in Every phone call and email was answered promptly. There were moments when I needed immediate help with custody issues and protection—Nathaniel handled those situations with calm expertise and gave me the reassurance I needed during such a stressful and uncertain time.

Divorce can feel overwhelming, but having strong legal guidance made all the difference. Nathaniel and Carren provided not only the legal knowledge but also the steady support that helped me feel protected and confident moving forward. I couldn’t recommend Briwn Family Law more highly to anyone needing a reliable and caring legal team!
David Handy and his team were fantastic in helping me navigate custody time with my daughter. He gave the me reassurance and encouragement I needed with each step and I couldn't be more grateful to him! Thanks David! And to his team Candace & Brooklyn for being very helpful in keeping constant communication open. I enjoyed working with everyone!
I had a great experience. Amazing guidance and direction to best help me and my situation.
This has honestly been a first-class experience! I've gotten to work with many attorneys throughout my life and none have been as attentive as, Clay Randle has been.
Daniel and Carren were great to work with. They took time to help me understand the process and get through a difficult time. When I had questions they were quick to respond and really listened to my concerns.
yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7

Categories

Related Posts