How Child Support Is Calculated in Canada
The three facts that set the basic amount, what gets added on top, and when a court can change it.
The 2025 Child Support Tables: What Changed
New federal tables took effect October 1, 2025, the first update since 2017. Here is what it means for you.
Special Expenses (Section 7): What Counts and Who Pays
Daycare, health costs, school extras, university and extraordinary activities: how parents share them.
Shared Custody and the 40% Rule
When each parent has the children at least 40% of the time, support is calculated differently.
What Counts as Income for Child Support?
Line 15000, self-employment, overtime, bonuses and when a court can impute income.
Can Child Support Be Changed?
Income changes, new tables, a child moving: when and how support can be updated.
Undue Hardship: When the Table Amount Can Be Lowered
The narrow situations where a court can set an amount different from the table.
What If a Parent Lives in Another Province?
Which table applies when parents live in different provinces, and how orders are enforced across Canada.
Child Support on Incomes Over $150,000
How the tables handle higher incomes, and when a court can set a different amount.
Child Support in Quebec: The Quebec Model
Why Quebec is different, and when the federal table for Quebec applies instead.