Child Support in Canada
Understand mandatory Federal Child Support Guidelines, table amounts, Section 7 expenses, and special situations like shared parenting.
Components of Child Support
Base table amount plus special expenses
Base Table Amount
Mandatory amount based on payor's income and number of children. Found in Federal Child Support Guidelines tables for each province.
Section 7 Expenses
Special or extraordinary expenses: childcare, medical/dental not covered by insurance, post-secondary education, extracurriculars. Shared proportional to income.
Section 7 Expenses
Special or extraordinary expenses shared proportionally
Childcare
- Daycare
- Before/after school care
- Nanny costs (if parent works)
Medical/Dental
- Orthodontics
- Prescription drugs
- Therapy/counseling
- Vision care beyond basic
Education
- University/college tuition, residence, books
- Private school if appropriate
- Tutoring for learning disabilities
Extracurricular
- Sports (equipment, fees, travel)
- Music lessons and instruments
- Arts programs - if extraordinary cost
Special Situations
Deviations from standard table amount calculations
Shared Parenting (40%+ each)
Rule: Set-off approach: Compare table amounts, higher earner pays difference. Courts may deviate if child's standard of living would suffer.
Split Parenting
Rule: Each child lives primarily with different parent. Each parent pays table amount for child with other parent. Usually results in set-off.
Undue Hardship
Rule: Claim table amount creates undue hardship (debt, prior support obligations, high child access costs, legal duty to other children). Must compare household standards of living.
Income Over $150K
Rule: For income over $150,000, payor pays: table amount for first $150K + percentage or amount for income above (court discretion)
When Child Support Can Be Changed
Material changes in circumstances
- Material change in payor's income (increase or decrease)
- Material change in recipient's income (affects Section 7 proportions)
- Change in number of children (child reaches age of majority, new child)
- Change in parenting time (becomes shared parenting)
- Child's needs change (new Section 7 expenses)
- Payor loses job or retires
- Discovery of undisclosed income
Frequently Asked Questions
Calculate Federal Child Support
Splitifi's calculator uses the official Federal Child Support Guidelines to provide accurate table amounts and Section 7 calculations.