Pre-Approvals: Ask Before You Spend
What is a Pre-Approval?
A pre-approval is a request for agreement before you spend money on something significant. It eliminates "you never asked me" arguments.
When to Use
- Medical procedures — Braces, therapy, elective treatments
- Extracurriculars — Travel teams, expensive lessons, summer camp
- Big purchases — Laptop for school, first car, musical instruments
- Anything your agreement requires discussion on
How to Request
- Go to Expenses → Pre-Approvals
- Click "Request Pre-Approval"
- Enter details:
- What — Clear description
- Estimated cost — Your best estimate
- Reason/justification — Why is this needed?
- Target date — When would this happen?
- Which child — Who is this for?
- Click Submit Request
Response Options
Your co-parent can:
- Approve — They agree to share the cost
- Decline — They don't agree (with reason)
- Request Changes — Negotiate the amount or terms
After Approval
When you make the purchase:
- Add the expense normally
- Link it to the pre-approval
- If the actual amount is within tolerance (usually 10%) of the estimate, it may be auto-approved