Family Law

How to Change a Support Order in Ontario

When and how to change child or spousal support in Ontario: material changes in circumstances, the Motion to Change process, and updating support terms in a domestic contract.

Reviewed by Sabeeya Akram, Managing Partner, Ayoun & Sabeeya LLP

Published February 4, 2020 · Updated August 31, 2026

When can a support order be changed?

Support terms in a court order or domestic contract can be revisited when circumstances materially change. Common triggers include:

The payer's income has gone up or down significantly
Your own income has changed
The child's living arrangements or needs have changed
The child no longer qualifies for support — for example, they have finished school and become self-supporting
Job loss, disability or retirement affecting either party

Changing a court order: the Motion to Change

Only a court can change a support order. The procedure is called a Motion to Change, brought using the forms in the Family Law Rules, with updated financial disclosure from both sides. If both parties consent, the change can proceed on consent paperwork without a contested hearing; if not, the court decides whether a material change justifies a new order.

The forms look simple and are not — service, disclosure and the test for a material change trip up many self-represented parties. Getting advice before you file saves months.

Changing support in a domestic contract

Support terms negotiated in a separation agreement or other domestic contract are changed by agreement: the support section is re-drafted with your lawyer and presented to the other party, or a fresh contract is signed with the new terms. Each of you should have independent legal advice so the amendment holds up.

A domestic contract filed with the Ontario Court of Justice or the Superior Court of Justice (Family Court) can be enforced — and changed — through the court, so keep the filed version current.

Get advice before you act

Support obligations do not change automatically when circumstances do — arrears keep accumulating under the old terms until a new order or agreement replaces them. If a change is coming (job loss, retirement, a child finishing school), move early.

Call us at 905-232-2793. The first 15 minutes with a lawyer are free and confidential, with service in English, Urdu, Punjabi, Hindi and Polish.

The content of this website is legal information about Ontario and Canadian law, not legal advice. Reading it, or contacting us through it, does not create a lawyer-client relationship — that begins only after we confirm in writing that the firm is acting for you.

Questions people also ask

Does child support stop automatically at 18?+

No. Support can continue past 18 where the child is enrolled in full-time education or cannot become self-supporting due to illness or disability. It also does not stop by itself — the order or agreement must be changed.

Can we just agree to a new amount between ourselves?+

You can agree — but put it in a properly executed amendment or new agreement. Informal side-deals are hard to prove, and the Family Responsibility Office enforces the terms on file, not the handshake.

What counts as a material change in circumstances?+

Something significant, ongoing and not contemplated when the original terms were set: a real income change, a change in the child's residence or needs, disability, or retirement taken in good faith. A temporary dip rarely qualifies.

Talk to a lawyer about your situation

Your first 15 minutes are a free intake call. Substantive advice is billed at $199 per half-hour (CAD), and we confirm the rate with you before billed time begins. Meet us by Google Meet video call or in person at 25 Watline Avenue, Unit GR21, Mississauga. Monday to Friday, 9:30 AM – 7:00 PM.