Child and Spousal Support Decisions: Getting the Right Help

Child support: more formula than fight

Child support in Ontario follows the Federal Child Support Guidelines: a table amount based on the payer's gross income and number of children, plus a proportionate share of section 7 special expenses like child care and medical costs. The real disputes are usually about income — self-employment, cash income, imputing income to someone underemployed — and about what counts as a section 7 expense.

Spousal support: entitlement first, then range

Spousal support has two questions: is there entitlement (compensatory, needs-based or contractual), and if so, how much for how long? The Spousal Support Advisory Guidelines generate ranges rather than fixed answers, which makes advice and negotiation genuinely valuable — where you land inside the range can differ by hundreds of dollars a month for many years.

Where the right help changes the outcome

• Income analysis for self-employed or variable earners
• Section 7 expense negotiation and proportionate sharing
• Entitlement arguments and positioning within the SSAG range
• Agreements drafted to handle future changes without another fight
• Motions to change when circumstances genuinely shift