Right after settling the questions about custody, child support is commonly the most asked-about parenting issue. In Canada, all children have the right to financial support from both parents, and if you and the other parent don’t live together, by law, you must share the expenses of caring for your children.
The amount you’ll pay in child support is primarily based on your gross income before taxes and deductions, your children’s location, and depends on how many children you have. Federal and provincial guidelines set the child support amount, so this means that you are certainly not allowed to mediate the amount of child support, nor decline, pay less or amend the support amounts.
Moreover, if you wonder at what age do you stop paying child support in Canada, you should know that child support payments will continue until your children are 18 years old or until they finish their post-secondary education. However, if your children live with one spouse, for the most part, you may be entitled to pay extra child support from the other parent who lives predominantly with the children.
When dealing with child support, these are only some of the essential topics that will quickly become a part of your life. To help you prepare better, we’ve compiled this article that covers the most important questions and answers for co-parents and how to deal with specific issues that may come along the way.
How Is Child Support Calculated?
Child support is calculated differently in different Canadian territories and provinces, so in order to know for sure how much you need to pay each month for child support, it’s in your best interest to check with your local authorities and institutions. For example, child support needs to be calculated according to the Ontario Child Support Table Guidelines in Ontario.
In Canada, after their separation or divorce, both parents maintain the responsibility of financially supporting their children. based on how big their income is and the number of children they are raising.
What If You Don’t Pay Your Child Support?
In Canada, the federal government has established an office called the Family Responsibility Office, commonly referred to as FRO, a government body that enforces support payments if necessary. So, if there’s a problem regarding a child support payment, the FRO will demand paying parents to make all payments to the FRO, who will, in turn, send the payment to the other parent.
The FRO actions to enforce the payment, if payments are missed, can include garnishing of wages, taking money directly from the co-parent’s bank account, registering a lien against a property, ordering a collection, canceling the passport, and suspending the driver’s license.
Does Your Ex-Spouse Need To Spend The Entire Child Support On The Children?
You should know that there’s no strict requirement that the spouse receiving the child support must spend the provided money on the children as it’s assumed that the parent who lives with the children is caring for their financial well-being at all times, so flexibility and discretion are afforded accordingly. Put differently, child support is meant to contribute to basic needs and household necessities as if the paying parent was living together with the child or children.
Do You Need To Pay For Things Like Basketball Or Hockey Lessons If You Already Pay Child Support?
Such things as basketball or hockey lessons are not typically considered part of child support, as both of you may be required to pay additional payments that are called extraordinary expenses or Section 7 expenses.
The guidelines state that these extraordinary expenses must be reasonable and necessary; necessary, in the way that they are in the children’s best interest, and reasonable given the parents’ means concerning the family’s spending habits before the separation or divorce.
Would You Have To Pay Child Support If You’re Not The Biological Parent?
Yes, even if you’re not the biological parent of the child or children in question, you may be required to pay child support if you have stood in place of a parent. If such a bond has been established, it can’t be unilaterally withdrawn by the adult.
Final Words
When you’re living together and functioning as parents, you won’t have to sit down, establish how to co-parent successfully, and deal with the questions listed above. However, when you stop parenting together and everything changes, keep in mind that you both find the best solutions for your children and act naturally and confidently in your new role as a co-parent. Pay your child support on time, and provide your children with all the unconditional love they need along the way to grow up in a way in which you’ll be proud.
