Child Support
What the October 2025 Child Support Table Update Means in BC
By SiLaw Group Family LawyersPublished Nov 13, 2026 · 6 min read
The Federal Child Support Tables were updated effective October 1, 2025. An existing BC child support order does not change by itself. The new table governs amounts from that date onward, and getting the new figure into your order takes an agreement, a recalculation, or a variation application.
SiLaw Group Family Lawyers tracks changes like this one on our BC family law updates page. This post explains what changed, why your order stays as written until someone changes it, how to check your own number, and which route to an updated amount fits which family. For the calculation itself, start with our page on how child support is calculated in BC.
What Changed on October 1, 2025?
The Department of Justice Canada, which publishes the tables, says they were updated in 2025 to reflect more recent tax rules and that the updated tables came into effect on October 1, 2025. It now runs two official look-ups. The 2025 look-up is for child support amounts from October 1, 2025 onward. The 2017 look-up is for amounts for any period between November 22, 2017 and September 30, 2025.
The structure of the calculation did not change. Section 3(1) of the Federal Child Support Guidelines still sets the presumptive rule: for children under the age of majority, support is the amount in the applicable table for the paying parent's income and the number of children, plus any amount for special or extraordinary expenses under section 7 of the same Guidelines. Under section 3(3) of the Guidelines, the applicable table is the table for the province where the paying parent habitually resides, so the British Columbia table applies when the payor lives in BC.
Does My Existing Child Support Order Change Automatically?
No. A court order says what it says until a court changes it or the parties properly replace it. Section 152(1) of the Family Law Act allows a court to change, suspend or terminate an order respecting child support "on application", and section 17(1) of the Divorce Act likewise lets a court vary a support order on application by either or both former spouses. Neither statute rewrites an order on its own when a table is revised.
The BC Family Maintenance Agency, which enforces enrolled orders and filed agreements, puts it plainly on its website: until a new support order or agreement is filed in court, the existing one is still in effect and the agency will continue to collect it. The same logic applies to a written agreement. Under section 148(2) of the Family Law Act, a written agreement respecting child support that is filed in court is enforceable as if it were an order, and the figure in it stands until the parties change it. Neither parent should act on the new table alone. Our page on changing or cancelling child support explains the mechanics of a change.
How Do I Check My Figure Against the New Table?
Section 16 of the Federal Child Support Guidelines determines the paying parent's annual income using the sources of income under the heading "Total income" in the T1 General form, adjusted in accordance with Schedule III of the Guidelines. Take that income and the number of children to the official look-up. Our BC child support table lookup collects those two inputs and hands you to the Department of Justice tool, so you read the exact published figure. Make sure you are in the 2025 look-up for any amount from October 1, 2025 onward.
Compare the result with the amount in your order or agreement. A difference does not by itself mean the order is wrong, because several parts of the Guidelines can move a figure away from the plain table amount: special or extraordinary expenses under section 7, the shared parenting rule in section 9 when each parent has not less than 40 percent of parenting time over the course of a year, the discretion in section 4 for incomes over $150,000, and undue hardship under section 10. Our page on shared and split parenting time covers the most common of these.
Is a Table Update a Change in Circumstances?
To vary a child support order, the court has to be satisfied that a change of circumstances has occurred. Section 17(4) of the Divorce Act requires a change of circumstances "as provided for in the applicable guidelines" since the order or the last variation. Section 152(2)(a) of the Family Law Act uses the same reference point, a change in circumstances as provided for in the child support guidelines, as one of its grounds.
Section 14 of the Federal Child Support Guidelines then says what counts. Where the amount of child support includes a determination made in accordance with the applicable table, any change in circumstances that would result in a different child support order qualifies (section 14(a)). Where the amount was not table-based, the test is a change in the condition, means, needs or other circumstances of either spouse or of a child entitled to support (section 14(b)). The wording of section 14(a) is broad, and whether a revised table on its own is enough in your case is a question to put to a lawyer with your order in hand. In practice, most families reach this point because income has moved as well, and a lasting change in the payor's income is the classic change of circumstances.
What Are the Routes to an Updated Amount?
There are three.
- A new agreement or consent order. Parents who exchange current income information can record the updated figure in a separation agreement or ask the court for a consent order. Section 17(6.4) of the Divorce Act lets a court approve a consented amount that differs from the Guidelines if reasonable arrangements have been made for the child, and section 150(2) of the Family Law Act does the same for BC orders.
- The Child Support Recalculation Service. The BC government describes this free service as one that can adjust child support amounts using the paying parent's income tax information and the Child Support Guidelines and Tables, reviewing eligible orders and agreements annually. It covers orders and agreements made or filed in the Provincial Court of British Columbia. Under section 155 of the Family Law Act, the service recalculates only on the basis of updated income information, and a recalculated amount takes effect 31 days after the notification date. A parent who disagrees has 30 days after that date to apply to court under section 157 of the same Act.
- A variation application. Where parents cannot agree and the order is not eligible for recalculation, the route is an application under section 152 of the Family Law Act or section 17 of the Divorce Act. Section 17(6.1) of the Divorce Act requires the varied order to follow the applicable guidelines, which means the current tables.
Whichever route you take, section 25 of the Federal Child Support Guidelines gives you the information to start: a parent paying under an order must, on written request made not more than once a year, provide recent tax returns and notices of assessment within 30 days. Our Form F8 financial disclosure guide explains how that information is presented in court.
What About Support Owed for Periods Before October 2025?
Use the table that was in force at the time. The Department of Justice keeps the 2017 look-up online for exactly this purpose, covering November 22, 2017 to September 30, 2025. A claim for back support, or a dispute about arrears, should be calculated period by period with the right version. Our guide to retroactive child support in BC explains how far back a claim can reach, and our page on enforcement through the BC Family Maintenance Agency covers what happens when arrears are already on the books.
Talk to a Child Support Lawyer About the New Tables
Bring your order and your latest tax information and we will tell you what the new tables mean for your family. The first 30 minutes with SiLaw Group are free, by phone, video, or in person in South Surrey. Call (778) 381-9977 or Book Now for a Free Consultation.
This post is legal information, not legal advice. Rules and fees are current to the date of writing and can change.
About SiLaw Group
SiLaw Group Family Lawyers is a Surrey, BC firm practising family law and mediation. Founder Sandy Sihota is an accredited Family Law Mediator, Arbitrator and Parenting Coordinator (Law Society of BC). Articles are legal information, not legal advice.