Child Support
Children need financial support from their parents – and they have a legal right to it. When parents separate or divorce, they should try to agree on the amount of child support. If they ask a court to decide, the court will use guidelines to determine child support payments. Some child support guidelines fall under federal law, while others are under provincial or territorial law. The guidelines that apply depend on the family's situation.
This website provides general information. Family law is complex. You are encouraged to contact a lawyer for help with family law issues.
The Divorce Act and the Federal Child Support Guidelines (Federal Guidelines) change as of March 1, 2021. The biggest difference is the change in terminology. The Act and the Federal Guidelines now use parenting terminology (rather than “custody and access”). Please note that there are no changes to the child support rules to calculate the amount of child support.
Services and information
2017 Update to the Federal Child Support Tables
The Federal Child Support Tables set out the basic monthly amounts of child support under the Federal Child Support Guidelines.
2017 Child Support Table Look-up
This child support table look-up will help you find the base amount of child support.
Calculating support if the other parent lives in another country
If you divorce under Canada's Divorce Act, the Federal Child Support Guidelines would apply
Resources for the legal community
See items 1 and 8 in Topics in Family Law.
About child support
Child support is money that a parent pays to help support his or her child financially after a separation or divorce.
Child support agreements
You and the other parent may set up your own child support agreement.
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