Child Support
Child support is financial assistance provided by one parent to the other for the benefit of their children following a separation or divorce. The amount of child support is intended to cover the costs of raising the children and is based on the principle that both parents have a financial obligation to support their children.
In Ontario, child support is calculated using the Federal Child Support Guidelines, which are a set of rules and tables that take into account the income of both parents, the number of children, and the parenting time arrangements.
The first step in calculating the table amount for child support is to determine the paying parent's income. This includes income from all sources, such as employment, self-employment, and/or investments. Once the paying parent's income has been determined, the next step is to use the Federal Child Support Guidelines table to calculate the basic amount of child support.
Generally speaking the parent with a higher income is the paying parent, but this number is influenced by the number of factors including the number of children and how much time the children spend in each parent’s house, which is why it is helpful to know the parenting time first since that influences the support amount.
In addition to the table amount formula used to calculate child support, there are also special or extraordinary expenses (also known as Section 7 Expenses) related to the children’s education or healthcare needs which are calculated proportional to each parent’s income.
In Ontario, child support is typically paid until the child reaches the age of majority (18 years old), or until the child has completed their post-secondary education, depending on the terms of the separation agreement or court order.
Remember, child support is considered the right of your child and as a way to ensure that your child has access to similar resources in both parent’s homes. In our work together, we will provide you with the detailed roadmap of the documents you need to provide for your income and will walk you through the table amount and special and extraordinary expense calculations through a well-used and trusted legal software: DivorceMate.
