Child Support in British Columbia

Author: SiLaw Group Family Lawyers
Published: May 18, 2022
Reading time: 2 min read

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Separating from a relationship can disrupt the stability your child may have held and take a toll on their daily life for some time after a divorce. The impact on your child's life should be minimized as much as possible and one such measure is child support.

Who Pays Child Support in BC?

Child support is usually paid by the parent with less parenting time to the parent with whom the child lives most of the time. Where parenting time is shared — each parent exercises at least 40% of parenting time with the child over the course of a year — section 9 of the Federal Child Support Guidelines directs the court to take into account both parents' table amounts, the increased costs of the shared parenting time arrangement, and the conditions, means, needs and other circumstances of each parent and of any child for whom support is sought. Section 9 does not set out a simple set-off of the two table amounts; the amount depends on all three of those factors.

Following a divorce, it is the responsibility of both parents to provide financial aid for their child and this must be determined prior to the divorce being finalized.

How Is Child Support Calculated?

Child support in British Columbia is calculated using the formula in the Federal Child Support Guidelines: a table amount based on the payor's income and the number of children. Because the amount is driven by income, full and accurate financial disclosure is essential to getting the number right.

Where there are two or more children and each parent has the majority of parenting time with one or more of them — what section 8 of the Federal Child Support Guidelines calls "split parenting time" — child support is the difference between the amounts each parent would otherwise pay to the other. This is different from a shared parenting time arrangement under section 9, which is described above.

Income Over $150,000

If the paying parent earns more than $150,000 a year, section 4 of the Guidelines gives the court two options: order the table amount on the full income or, if the court considers that amount inappropriate, order the table amount on the first $150,000 plus the additional amount the court considers appropriate for the income above that level, having regard to the children's circumstances and each parent's ability to contribute, together with any special or extraordinary expenses.

Special and Extraordinary Expenses (s. 7)

Special and extraordinary expenses are additional costs outside basic living expenses that can add on to child support paid if your child partakes in community sports leagues, daycare, private tutoring, etc. Other factors considered in calculating child support are the number of children, location of the family or the amount of parenting time each parent has. The online Child Support Table Look-up is a great tool to determine a ballpark estimate of the support sum, however, keep in mind there are factors that can influence this amount.

When Does Child Support End in BC?

Every child is entitled to child support while they are under the age of 19 or beyond that if they are unable to care for themselves due to disability or continuing education.

Enforcing Child Support in BC

If support goes unpaid, the recipient can enrol the order or written agreement with the BC Family Maintenance Agency, which monitors, collects and enforces child and spousal support payments in British Columbia.

In an ideal situation, you and your former partner can come to a mutual agreement and determine child support payments. However, if this is not applicable to you, contact one of our family lawyers who can guide you through the court process and advocate for you and your child's interests.

Want to estimate your child support obligation? Use the Child Support Table Look-up from the Department of Justice Canada — it reflects the updated Federal Child Support Tables in effect since October 1, 2025.

Questions about child support? Book a free consultation with our Surrey family lawyers or call (778) 381-9977.