Child Support

Child support in Canada is principally based upon the income of the person who is obligated to pay child support. The federal government and the provincial and territorial governments have a system in place called the "Child Support Guidelines". These "guidelines" tell us how much base support must be paid. Generally, the base support amount depends on the payor's income and the number of children.

The guidelines provide direction with respect to other situations such as where some children are with each parent (split custody). The guidelines also address where the residential time is approximately equal and in that case, special rules apply.

Over the years, Gene C. Colman has written extensively with respect to child support. The articles below represent some of Gene C. Colman's work. These articles do not constitute legal advice and indeed, more recent cases decided in the courts and changes to the guidelines themselves all serve to change the way the law is applied and interpreted in Canada's courts.