Calculating child support
Canadian law requires that both parents contribute financially to their children’s support when parents separate. This usually means the parent who spends less time with a child pays child support to the parent who spends more time with the child.
Who pays
Both birth parents and adoptive parents are required to pay child support. In some circumstances, a step-parent may be required to pay. A person who is a guardian of the child under the Family Law Act<p>The main provincial law that deals with family law issues in BC.</p> can also be required to pay child support.
A recipient is a person receiving child support
A payor is a person paying child support
How long
In BC, parents and guardians must support a child until the child turns 19, and sometimes after that if the child is still dependent on their parents. This can include where the child is unable to care for themselves due to an illness, disability or for other reasons.
How much
Federal Child Support Guidelines<p>Guidelines used to calculate child support in divorce and family law cases. Includes tables of support amounts for each province.</p> provide tables that set out the basic amount of support a parent or guardian should pay in each province and territory in Canada. The amount is based on that person’s income and the number of children to be supported. You use the table for the province where the person paying support (the payor) lives.
The tables are updated from time to time.
For payments covering time after September 30, 2025, use the 2025 Federal Tables.
For times between November 22, 2017 and September 30, 2025, use the 2017 Federal Tables.
For time before November 22, 2017, use the 2011 or 2006 Federal Tables.
The new 2025 Federal Tables do not automatically change a child support order made before October 1, 2025.
Simplified child support tables
There are simplified tables on the Canadian government website. To use them:
Under the heading for the province where the person who will pay support lives, click the number of children that person is required to support (either “1 to 4 children” or “5 or more children”). That will take you to a specific Child Support Guidelines Table.
Look for the support payor’s income on the left of a row.
Look for the number of children at the top of a column.
The column and row will intersect at a number, and that’s the monthly amount of basic child support. It’s sometimes called “the table amount.”
For example, in October 2025, when a BC payor’s income is $23,000 the table amount for 2 children is $348.
Income Revenue ($) | Monthly Award Paiement mensuel ($) |
|
|
|
| No. of Children Nbre d'enfants |
|
|
|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
23000 | 171 | 348 | 375 | 402 |
Simplified 2025 child support tables (Canadian government)
2025 child support table look-up
Shared parenting time
If the children live with each parent at least 40% of the time, you use the table in a different way. The parent with the higher support amount will pay some support to the parent with the lower support amount.
Child support<p><span lang="EN-US">The money one parent pays to another parent to help support the children if the parents do not live together. </span><span> </span></p> calculator
You may find it easier to use the Child Support Calculator. If you fill in the payor’s income, the number of children and province of residence, the calculator shows the basic amount of child support to be paid.
Financial information
Since child support is based on the payor’s income, it’s important to have complete and accurate information about that parent’s income. The law requires the person paying support to complete a Financial Statement using Form 4 and provide income tax returns, pay stubs and other documents before a judge makes a child support order. In some cases the person asking for child support must also complete the form and provide financial information.
Guide to filling out Form 4 (Family Law in BC)
Paying higher amounts
A judge may also order a parent or guardian to pay more than the basic table amount for their reported income if there is evidence that the payor is intentionally unemployed or under-employed. In that case the judge can base child support payments on a higher income than the payer earns. This is called "imputing income".
In addition to this basic amount, a payor may be required to pay more to contribute to special or extraordinary expenses. You may hear it called section 7 expenses, referring to section 7 of the Federal Child Support Guidelines<p>Guidelines used to calculate child support in divorce and family law cases. Includes tables of support amounts for each province.</p> where the law about these expenses is set out.
These types of expenses can include things like childcare, post-secondary schooling and medical expenses. Calculating the contribution to special expenses can be complicated. If there are special expenses in your case it is a good idea to talk to a lawyer to learn about the law.
Paying lower amounts
If the payor has a lower household standard of living than the parent receiving child support and paying the basic table amount of child support would cause them undue hardship, a judge may be able to lower the amount. However, “undue” means “exceptional, excessive or disproportionate” hardship. Problems like having a lower standard of living or having to support a new family are not enough to justify paying a lower amount of child support.
Getting help
Calculating the income of the person paying support, the amount of support that should be paid and whether any exceptions can apply can be complicated. It is important to speak to a lawyer or a family justice counsellor to get more information.
This page was printed from:
https://provincialcourt.bc.ca/navigating-court-case/family/family-matters-related-separation-family-law-act/calculating-child-support