Financial Support

Financially Supporting Your Children

Both parents have a responsibility to financially support their children. The amount of child support to be paid in Ontario is set out under the Child Support Guidelines. Under these Guidelines, child support payments are based on the income of the person who does not have custody and the number of children who need support.

The following links provide more information about child support.

• The Provincial Child Support Guidelines
• Information about the Provincial Child Support Guidelines
• The Federal Child Support Guidelines
• Information about the Federal Child Support Guidelines
• Eight Steps to Calculating Child Support
• What Ontario families need to know about the Federal Child Support Guidelines
• Child Support and the Child Support Guidelines - a guide to answer the most frequently asked questions (PDF - 166K)
• What you should know about Family Law in Ontario - a booklet about family law
• Caring for You and Your Children
• Using a Mediator
• Using a Lawyer
• Going to Court

Financially Supporting your Spouse

The law expects adults to be self-sufficient. However, in some cases, the law requires a person to support his or her former spouse. This obligation may arise if the couple was married or was in a common-law relationship (involving persons of the opposite sex or same sex) for at least three years or a shorter period if the couple has a child.

Refer to the links below for information about the law of support.

• Divorce Act
• Family Law Act
• What you should know about Family Law in Ontario - a booklet about family law
• Using a Mediator
• Using a Lawyer
• Going to Court

Enforcing Support Payments

All support orders made in Ontario are automatically filed with the Family Responsibility Office (FRO). If support arrangements are set out in a separation agreement rather than a court order, you can still take steps to have your support payments processed through the FRO.

The FRO processes child and spousal support payments to help ensure that support gets paid regularly and enforces support orders that are not being paid on time or in full. If your support order is not filed with the FRO and the support payments are not being paid on time, or in full, you can take legal action to recover the money you are owed.

Refer to the links below to find out more information about enforcing support payments.

• Information about the FRO and its responsibilities
• What you should know about Family Law in Ontario - a booklet about family law
• Family Law Assistance Services
• Using a Lawyer
• Going to Court