Be Careful Who You Sleep With – Child Support and “Involuntary” Fatherhood
Written by Colin A. Steffler. Let’s say, hypothetically, that you, a male, meet a woman and begin an intimate relationship. You make it clear throughout that relationship that you are not ready to become a father and not interested in having children until some point far in the future (or, perhaps, not at all). She […]
Guidelines vs Guidelines: Comparing Child and Spousal Support
Written by Colin A. Steffler We normally think of “guidelines” as recommendations or informal rules that fall short of being mandatory. In this sense, the Child Support Guidelines are not really “guidelines” at all. They are regulations under both the federal Divorce Act and Ontario’s Family Law Act, and judges have to follow them, except […]
Child Support – Overview of Special or Extraordinary Expenses (a.k.a. S. 7 expenses)
Written By Allison R. McAlpine When people think of child support, they usually think about the regular monthly payment of child support based on the payor’s income and the number of children to which the support applies. In addition to this regular monthly payment, each parent is obligated to contribute to a child’s special or […]
Child Support Agreements – Basic Questions that the Parties Need to Answer
Written by Allison R. McAlpine A Separation Agreement outlines the various obligations and rights that each party has in relation to all issues resulting from the breakdown of the relationship including child support. There are various issues that have to be worked out in a child support agreement which include the following: Determining the income […]
Voluntary Job Changes, Child Support, and the Imputation of Income
Written by Colin A. Steffler If I quit my job, do I still have to pay child support? What if I leave my boring office job to start my (lower-paying) dream business? Will my support payments go down? When it comes to determining what amount of support a parent or spouse should pay, courts will […]
Child Support Tables updated as of November 22, 2017
Written By Allison R. McAlpine The Child Support Tables under the Federal Child Support Guidelines were updated and took effect on November 22, 2017. The Federal Government updated the Tables to reflect more recent tax rules. In Ontario, the amount of child support that a parent pays is largely governed by the Child Support Tables […]
What is the Family Responsibility Office?
Written by Kara-Lynne Chapman Enforcing Child and Spousal Support The Family Responsibility Office (or FRO) is a government agency responsible for the enforcement of all child and spousal support orders in Ontario. FRO is also able to enforce the support provisions of a Separation Agreement as well so long as it has been filed with the court using […]
Child Support – How is the amount to be paid determined?
Written by Kara-Lynne Chapman The amount of child support to be paid is based on the payer’s gross income and the number of children. The support amount is set out in a chart called the Child Support Guidelines. These Guidelines are available online and can be found on the Department of Justice. The amount of […]
Child Support – Shared/Split Custody
Written by Kara-Lynne Chapman In situations in which children reside primarily with one parent, child support is fairly straightforward to calculate. We look to the Child Support Guidelines and determine what the support payer’s obligation is based on his/her gross annual income and how many children are entitled to support. However, in situations where the […]
