Child
What is Child Support?
Child support is the amount of money that one parent pays to the other parent to help pay for the costs of caring for the child. Child support is the right of the child, not the parents. They need to be fed, housed and clothed.
A parent cannot agree to “give up” receiving child support just because they don’t want to deal with the other parent or the other parent convinces them not to take it. When parents separate, the law says they are both responsible for the costs of raising their children. This is the case even if a parent has never lived with the children or the other parent.
The federal government created the Child Support Guidelines to help parents figure out what they should pay in child support each month. The amount is based on who has the children most of the time, the number of children, the province where the paying parent lives, and the annual income of the parents.
Equal Time Parenting Arrangements
A lot of people assume that if the children are spending equal amounts of time at each parent’s house, then no one has to pay child support. That is simply not true. Child support is most often calculated using each party’s income as it is listed on Line 150 of their income tax return. This is their gross income, not their net income. The difference in the two amounts is what the higher income earner has to pay to the other parent.
``Adult`` Children Support
Another common assumption people have is that child support ends when the child turns 18 years old. This is not the case unless that child is no longer in school. Child support can end by setting a “terminating event” in your separation agreement. Examples of this include but are not limited to:
- When the child leaves school
- Turns a certain age
- Enters full-time employment
- Another specific and significant event
Every case is different and there may be other factors that affect how much child support is owing and for how long. Our experienced lawyers will be able to assist you and give you legal advice that is tailored to your unique situation.
Contact us here if you need help with a child support issue.
