Italian Court rules on parental reimbursement for school and dental costs

The Italian Court of Cassation has upheld a ruling requiring a father to reimburse a mother for expenses related to their adult son's private school tuition and dental care. The father had contested the costs, arguing that he was not consulted beforehand, which he claimed violated the principle of shared parental responsibility.

In its ordinance, the Court clarified that while extraordinary expenses typically require prior agreement, ordinary and predictable costs—such as school fees and routine medical treatments—do not necessarily require prior consultation or consensus between separated parents. The Court noted that the son was not economically independent at the time, justifying the mother's claim for reimbursement of the father's share of these documented expenses.