Child Support in Canada: How It's Calculated

Child support ensures that your children's financial needs continue to be met after separation. Understanding how it is calculated helps both parents plan for the future. If children are involved in your divorce, you may also want to read our guide to divorce with children.

Child support is the legal obligation of both parents to financially support their children after separation or divorce. In Canada, child support is governed primarily by the Federal Child Support Guidelines, which apply to divorcing couples under the Divorce Act. Each province also has its own guidelines for unmarried or separated couples, though the calculation methods are largely the same. Understanding how child support works is essential for any parent going through a separation, whether you expect to pay or receive support.

One of the most important things to know about child support in Canada is that it takes priority over spousal support. Under section 15.3 of the Divorce Act, if there is any conflict between the two obligations, child support must be satisfied first. Furthermore, under section 11(1)(b), the court is required to verify that reasonable child support arrangements have been made before it will grant a divorce. This reflects the legal system's recognition that the financial wellbeing of children is the top priority.

How Child Support Is Calculated

The Federal Child Support Guidelines establish a table based system for determining the basic amount of child support. The amount depends on two primary factors: the paying parent's gross annual income and the number of children. The tables are province specific because they account for different provincial and territorial tax rates, but the underlying framework is the same across Canada. The table amount is the presumptive amount (the starting point), which a court can change in some situations, such as shared or split parenting, income over $150,000 or undue hardship (Federal Child Support Guidelines, sections 3, 4, 8, 9 and 10).

Sample Monthly Table Amounts

The following table shows monthly child support amounts from the Ontario, 2025 tables of the Federal Child Support Guidelines. They're based on the paying parent's gross annual income and vary by the number of children. Amounts in other provinces and territories differ slightly because of tax rate differences.

Ontario, 2025 tables (in force October 1, 2025).

Section 7: Special and Extraordinary Expenses

Beyond the base table amount, the Federal Child Support Guidelines include a provision under Section 7 for special or extraordinary expenses. These are costs that go above and beyond what the table amounts are designed to cover. Both parents are expected to contribute to these expenses in proportion to their respective incomes. For example, if one parent earns 60% of the combined household income, that parent would be responsible for 60% of any Section 7 expenses.

Not every extracurricular activity qualifies as a Section 7 expense. The expense must be reasonable given the family's means and in the best interests of the child. A recreational soccer league, for example, might be considered part of the base table amount, while competitive travel hockey with significant costs could qualify as an extraordinary expense. Courts look at the nature of the expense, its necessity, the family's historical spending patterns, and whether the expense is reasonable in light of both parents' financial circumstances.

Shared Parenting Arrangements

When both parents have the child for at least 40% of the time (sometimes referred to as shared parenting time), the calculation of child support changes. In these situations, the court uses what is known as the set off approach. Under this method, the table amount for each parent is calculated based on their respective incomes, and the difference between the two amounts is what the higher income parent pays to the lower income parent.

For example, if Parent A earns $90,000 and Parent B earns $50,000, and they share parenting time equally, the court would look up the table amount for each parent, calculate the difference, and order the higher earning parent to pay the net difference. The court also has discretion to consider the increased costs of maintaining two households and the actual spending patterns of each parent when determining the final support amount.

Ontario, 2025 tables: $841 − $450 = $391 a month.

Section 9 of the Guidelines isn't a pure set-off. The set-off is a starting point, and the court also weighs the increased costs of shared parenting and each parent's circumstances (the Supreme Court of Canada's decision in Contino). So the final amount can be higher or lower than the difference (Federal Child Support Guidelines, section 9).

It is worth noting that the 40% threshold is measured as a proportion of the total time over the course of a year, not simply based on the number of overnights. Courts may consider the actual time the child spends in each parent's care, including daytime hours, when making this determination.

Undue Hardship Claims

In some cases, a parent may argue that paying or receiving the table amount of child support would cause undue hardship. This is a high bar to meet, and courts do not grant undue hardship claims lightly. To succeed, the claiming parent must demonstrate that paying the guideline amount would cause them significant financial difficulty beyond normal post-separation challenges.

Common grounds for an undue hardship claim include unusually high debts incurred to support the family before separation, unusually high costs of exercising parenting time (such as long distance travel), a legal obligation to support another person (such as a child from another relationship), or a legal obligation to support a dependent who is ill or disabled. Even if the court finds that hardship exists, it must then compare the standard of living in each household. If the household claiming hardship still has a higher standard of living than the other household, the claim will typically be denied.

Duration of Child Support

Child support in Canada generally continues until the child reaches the age of majority, which is 18 in most provinces and 19 in British Columbia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, and Yukon. However, support may continue beyond this age if the child is unable to become self-supporting due to illness, disability, or because they are enrolled in full-time education. Many parents are surprised to learn that child support can extend well into a child's twenties if they are attending university or college full time.

The Divorce Act defines a "child of the marriage" as a child who is under the age of majority or who is the age of majority or older but is unable to withdraw from the charge of the parents because of illness, disability, or other cause, which includes pursuing reasonable post-secondary education. The obligation does not end automatically; it typically requires a court order or agreement to modify or terminate the support.

How to Vary a Child Support Order

Life circumstances change, and child support orders can be varied (changed) when there has been a material change in circumstances. Common reasons for seeking a variation include a significant change in either parent's income, a change in the parenting time arrangement, a child reaching the age of majority, a child becoming self-supporting, or the addition of a new Section 7 expense.

Enforcement

Each province has a maintenance enforcement program that can help collect child support when the paying parent fails to make payments. To estimate exact table amounts for your income level, use our child support calculator. These programs have significant enforcement powers, including the ability to garnish wages, seize bank accounts, suspend driver's licenses and passports, and report the default to credit bureaus. If you are not receiving the child support you are owed, contacting your province's maintenance enforcement program is an important first step.

Resources and Tools

If you're looking for a family lawyer to help with child support, browse family lawyers across Canada.

This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Laws vary by province and individual circumstances. Consult a qualified family lawyer for advice specific to your situation.