Please note that the information provided herein is not legal advice and is provided for informational and educational purposes only. If you need legal advice with respect to child support or determining child support payments, you should seek professional assistance (e.g. make a post on Dynamic Lawyers). We have Toronto and Ottawa family law lawyers registered on Dynamic Lawyers who can offer information, advice, and assistance with respect to your child support matters.
As a follow up to my recent child support calculator blog (which dealt with Ontario and federal child support), I thought I’d discuss calculating child support in British Columbia. Interestingly, the province of British Columbia has adopted the Federal Child Support Guidelines to determine child support obligations in that province. It says so here: s. 1(2) of the B.C. Child Support Guidelines Regulation made under the Family Relations Act. So here it is:
- British Columbia – this is a calculator provided by the British Columbia Family Maintenance Enforcement Program. Please keep in mind that this websites may not be up-to-date and that you are always cautioned to consult with a family law lawyer who is apprised of the present law in British Columbia.
The key thing to keep in mind is trying to figure out what your income would be for the purposes of determining child support. It’s not as easy or straightforward as one might think. There are a number of steps that begin with looking at your last income tax return and making adjustments according to the Federal Child Support Guidelines.
The Federal Child Support Guidelines are regulations made under the Canada Divorce Act. The latter applies when parents are married and are now divorcing or formerly married and making a claim for child support. If the parents are not divorcing or were not married at all, then child support would have to be calculated by the provincial jurisdiction’s relevant family law legislation.
In Ontario, for example, child support is determined according to the Family Law Act and the Ontario Child Support Guidelines. The latter also has a table (as does the Federal Child Support Guidelines) that allows users to pinpoint what their child support obligations would be based on their income.
Again, it is encouraged to consult with a family law lawyer (e.g. by making a post on Dynamic Lawyers) before simply assuming that you know what your income would be under the applicable child support guidelines (and possibly relying on a free child support calculator to your detriment).
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