Both parents have an obligation to support their children upon separation. When spouses separate, a parent may have to pay money to the other parent for the support of the children. There are two types of support that parent may have to pay, basic child monthly child support and special expenses.

Child Support is calculated by taking each parents’ income and calculating support under the Federal Child Support Guidelines. There are different methods to calculate a parent’s income under the guidelines, especially if one parent has their own business, is self-employed, or controls a corporation. If one parent lives in another country, that party’s tax rate in the country they live in will affect the amount of support payable. The parent responsible for paying support depends on the parenting arrangement for their children. Where parents have substantially equal parenting time, each parent may have to pay support to the other with the net difference being paid as a “set off”. When the child turns 19, child support may still be payable depending on the circumstances of the child, usually when they are pursuing post-secondary education.

Special expenses include cost for childcare, medical expenses, dental work, education expenses and some extracurricular activities and are usually shared in proportion to each person’s income.

Determining how much a parent is supposed to pay for child support can range from relatively simple or complex depending on the parties’ income. Our family law lawyers can provide the expertise necessary to help clients navigate and negotiate fair child support.