Child support belongs to the child, not to the parent who receives it. In British Columbia it is calculated under the Federal Child Support Guidelines, which set a monthly table amount from the paying parent’s income and the number of children. On top of that, parents share certain additional costs, known as section 7 or special and extraordinary expenses: child care, health costs not covered by insurance, and some extracurricular and education expenses.
Because the table does most of the work, child support disputes are usually really disputes about income. Self-employment, cash earnings, bonuses, rental income, money kept inside a company, and a parent who has quit or cut back on work all change the number. Where income is understated, a court can impute a figure based on what the parent could reasonably earn.
Support is owed from the date the entitlement arises, not from the date somebody finally files. That cuts both ways: arrears build quietly, and a claim for past support can reach back years. Dealing with it early is almost always cheaper than dealing with it later.
What we help with
- Calculating the guideline table amount and section 7 expenses
- Shared parenting and split parenting calculations
- Determining income for self-employed parents, business owners and contractors
- Imputing income where a parent is under-employed or not disclosing
- Children over 19 who are still in school or dependent because of a disability
- Changing support after a job loss, a new job or a change in parenting time
- Retroactive support claims, arrears and enforcement through the Family Maintenance Enforcement Program
How it usually works
- 01
Pin down income
We gather tax returns, notices of assessment, pay records and, where it matters, corporate financial statements, and test whether the reported income is the real one.
- 02
Run the numbers
We calculate the table amount and each parent’s share of special expenses, so you know what a court would likely order before you start negotiating.
- 03
Put it in writing, and keep it current
Support belongs in a filed agreement or an order, with a yearly exchange of income information built in. Informal arrangements are the ones that turn into arrears disputes.
Related services
- Spousal SupportWhether spousal support is owed at all, then how much, for how long, and when it can change.
- Parenting & CustodyParenting time, decision-making and guardianship arrangements built around your children after separation.
- Separation AgreementsA written agreement that settles parenting, support, property and debt without a trial.