Monthly Amount Increases And How To Calculate Them

When parents separate, one or both parents are likely responsible for paying the other parent child support. 2017 has seen an increase in Alberta support payments with increased new updated Child Support Guidelines. These new guidelines will affect almost everyone paying child support in Alberta.

Child support is governed by the Federal Child Support Guidelines. There are two types of child support; the monthly amount, often called base or section 3 child support, and expenses for special or extraordinary expenses. In a shared parenting arrangement where each parent has at least 40% of the parenting time, parties may be required to pay each other the monthly support that is calculated by the guidelines.

What is Child Support?

Child support is the right of the child and the obligation of both parents as soon as they separate.  Child support is governed by the Federal Child Support Guidelines and Alberta Child Support Guidelines.

There are two types of child support obligations as set out in the Guidelines. The combination of these two types of support determine each parent’s total financial obligation for their child according to the law. These include regular child support payments to gover day to day living expenses and extraordinary expenses for expenses that are in addition to regular day to day living.

Learn Here About Extraordinary Section 7 Expenses: What they are and how they are paid!

Monthly Child Support has just Increased!

As of November 22, 2017, increased new updated Child Support Guidelines (Support Tables) came into effect. The child support amounts have increased in order to adjust for inflation. These are the Section 3, or day to day living support payments. Any child support calculations for child support amounts from November 22 onward should use the new calculator.

At an income of $40,000, a payor’s child support will be $20 more per month. At an income of $100,000, a payor’s child support will be $36 more per month.

If you are calculating retroactive child support, the previous child support calculator is still available here.

To determine the child support payable simply insert each parent’s gross annual income into the calculator, select the province the child lives in and the number of children. The calculation then sets out the monthly financial obligation of that parent for base support.

How Parenting Arrangements Base Support Payments?

If the parents have ‘shared parenting’ where the child lives with each parent 50/50 (or at least not less than 40% with either parent) then you simply set off what Parent 1 owes from the calculator against what Parent 2 owes from the calculator.

This approach also applies if there are two children with one child living primarily with each parent (also known as split parenting)

If the child lives “primarily” with Parent 1 which is defined as more than 60% of the time with Parent 1 then Parent 2 simply pays the child support amount to Parent 1 pursuant to the calculator. Parent 1 does not make a payment as it is assumed they are incurring the expenses directly by virtue of the parenting arrangement.

Legal Help With Updated Child Support Guidelines

Not every situation is simple or straightforward. If one the parents has shares in a private corporation or runs their own business, it’s a good idea to obtain legal advice on how that affects the calculation of support. Contact Kahane Law to learn about how we can help you seamlessly navigate through child support and work out an agreement to avoid court.

You can reach us locally in Calgary at 403-225-8810 or toll-free at 1-877-225-8817, or email us directly here.