- Work out the table amount first. It is the benchmark everyone uses.
- Both parents should exchange income documents.
- You can set support by written agreement, through a provincial service where one exists, or by court order.
- Register the agreement or order with your enforcement program so payments are tracked and collected.
Step 1: work out the amount
Use the calculator with the paying parent’s province, gross income and the number of children. Add special expenses such as daycare. If each parent has the children at least 40% of the time, use the shared custody calculator.
Step 2: exchange income documents
The Guidelines require tax returns and notices of assessment for the last three years and a recent pay statement, plus business records for a self-employed parent. Ask in writing and keep a copy. The date you first asked can matter later. Why the date matters.
Step 3: choose a route
A written agreement
Parents who agree can sign a separation agreement or a child support agreement. In most provinces you can file it with the court so it can be enforced like an order. Independent legal advice for each parent makes an agreement much harder to challenge later.
A provincial service
Some provinces can set or update child support without a hearing. Ontario’s online Child Support Service is one example. Others recalculate existing orders each year.
A court order
If you cannot agree, either parent can apply to court. Married parents who are divorcing apply under the Divorce Act. Other parents apply under their province’s family law. The amount is the same either way, because the provincial rules use the same tables. Quebec uses its own model when both parents live there.
Where to go in each province and territory
Each province page lists the law that applies and the courts in more detail.
Step 4: register for enforcement
Register the order or agreement with your province’s maintenance enforcement program. It keeps a record of every payment and acts if payments stop. Programs by province.
Step 5: keep it current
Incomes change. Either parent can ask the other for updated income documents once a year, and support can be updated when the numbers move.
Free and low-cost help
Family courts have information centres and duty counsel, and legal aid covers family cases for parents who qualify. Most provinces also have a lawyer referral service with a free or low-cost first consultation. Find a family lawyer in your province.
Common questions
Do I need a lawyer to get child support?
No. Parents can agree in writing, and some provinces have services that set or update child support without court. A lawyer is worth it when income is disputed, a parent is self-employed, or parenting time is close to 40%.
Do I need a court order for child support?
No. A written agreement works, and in most provinces it can be filed with the court so it can be enforced like an order.
Can I get child support if we were never married?
Yes. Child support is the child’s right and does not depend on whether the parents were married. Unmarried parents apply under their province’s or territory’s family law, which uses the same tables.
What if I do not know the other parent’s income?
Ask in writing for their tax returns and notices of assessment. If they refuse, a court can order disclosure and can assign an income to a parent who does not provide it.
How much child support will I get?
It depends on the paying parent’s province, gross income and the number of children. The calculator on this site gives the table amount in seconds.
Need a family lawyer?
Every province has a service or directory that helps parents find a family lawyer. Find yours.
Sources
General information only, not legal advice. For your situation, speak with a family lawyer or your province's family justice services.
