Spousal Support Amount and Duration - How the SSAG Really Work

Behind Every "spousal Support Calculator"

Search for a spousal support calculator for BC and you will find plenty of sites promising a number. Every serious one runs the same engine: the Spousal Support Advisory Guidelines, usually called the SSAG. Knowing what the SSAG are, and what they are not, tells you how much weight any calculated amount and duration deserves. The short version: ranges, not answers, and the inputs matter more than the software.

SiLaw Group Family Lawyers is a boutique family law and mediation firm in South Surrey. Family law is the only kind of law we practise, and we serve clients in English and Punjabi. We work with SSAG calculations every week, for payors and recipients. For the fundamentals of spousal support, see our spousal support services.

Advisory, Not Law

The SSAG's own text is unusually direct about this. Unlike the Federal Child Support Guidelines, the Advisory Guidelines have not been legislated. They are informal guidelines, not legally binding, their use is voluntary, and they are intended as a starting point for negotiation and adjudication. Lawyers, mediators and judges use them constantly because they bring structure to a discretionary area, but no one is obliged to land inside a calculated range.

Just as important, the SSAG do not deal with entitlement. Their own text says a mere disparity of income does not automatically create entitlement; there must first be a finding or agreement that support is owed at all. A calculator cannot answer that threshold question. Our post on how spousal support claims work covers where entitlement comes from.

Two Formulas, at a Glance

The SSAG contain two basic formulas, and which one applies changes everything.

The without child support formula applies where there are no dependent children. It leans heavily on the length of the relationship, counted as the period of cohabitation, including time together before marriage. Both the amount, expressed as a share of the difference between the spouses' gross incomes, and the duration grow as the relationship gets longer. The SSAG call the idea merger over time: the longer two lives are merged, the stronger the claim to share the financial consequences of separating them.

The with child support formula applies where there are dependent children. Child support is calculated first and has priority, and spousal support is then worked out from what remains, as a share of the spouses' net disposable incomes after child support is taken out. Because it runs on after-tax numbers, this formula is genuinely software territory. Duration under it is more flexible: orders are initially indefinite in form, with durational ranges tied to the length of the marriage and the ages of the children. Variant formulas exist for shared and split parenting, for a paying parent who has the children, and for adult children.

Both formulas have outer limits too: a ceiling and a floor set by reference to the payor's gross income.

Ranges, Duration and the Rule of 65

The SSAG never produce one number. They generate a range for amount and a range for duration, and where a case lands within the range depends on factors such as the strength of any compensatory claim, the recipient's needs, the children's circumstances, the payor's ability to pay, and self-sufficiency incentives. Two files with identical incomes can reasonably settle at opposite ends of the same range.

Duration moves as much money as the monthly amount does. Under the without child support formula, duration scales with the length of the marriage, from half a year to one year of support for each year of marriage. Support becomes indefinite in duration, meaning no end date is specified, after 20 years of marriage. It can happen earlier under the rule of 65: if the marriage lasted five years or more, and the years of marriage plus the recipient's age at separation add up to 65 or more, duration is not limited. Indefinite does not mean untouchable; support can still be reviewed or varied as circumstances change, which our post on ending or varying spousal support payments explains.

Why the Software Output Is the Beginning, Not the End

If the SSAG are formulas, why not just trust the printout? Because every step around the formula involves judgment:

• Income is the input, and income is argued. The SSAG acknowledge they do not solve the hard income problems, such as self-employment or imputing income to a spouse whose reported earnings understate capacity. Full disclosure comes first; see our Form F8 financial disclosure guide.
• Entitlement can shrink or shape everything. No entitlement, no range worth discussing.
• The range is wide. Choosing a point in it is advocacy and judgment, not arithmetic.
• Results can be restructured. The SSAG allow trading amount against duration, such as a higher amount for a shorter time, or a lump sum.
• Exceptions exist. The SSAG list exceptions, including illness, disability and debt situations, where the formula outcome can be departed from.

That is why we treat any calculation, ours included, as a framework for negotiation. The resources on our calculators and tools page can help you get oriented, and how we charge is on our pricing and fees page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is There an Official Spousal Support Calculator for BC?

No. The SSAG are not legislation, and no government-mandated calculator exists. Professionals use software that implements the SSAG formulas, which matters most in with-child cases built on after-tax incomes. Free online calculators can give a rough shape, but their outputs depend on inputs that are often the real dispute.

How Long Does Spousal Support Last in BC?

There is no standard answer. Under the SSAG's without child support formula, duration scales with the length of the marriage, becomes indefinite after 20 years, and can be indefinite earlier under the rule of 65. With dependent children, duration is tied to the length of the marriage and the children's ages. Orders and agreements can also set reviews and end dates.

What Is the Rule of 65?

A duration rule in the SSAG's without child support formula: if the marriage lasted five years or longer and the years of marriage plus the support recipient's age at separation total 65 or more, support is not subject to a time limit, though the amount can still be reviewed or varied.

Why Do the Two Sides Get Different Numbers from the Same Formula?

Different inputs and assumptions: each spouse's income, whether income should be imputed, which formula or variant applies, and where in the range the case belongs. Sorting out those disputed inputs, often through disclosure and negotiation or mediation, is most of the real work.

Talk to a Spousal Support Lawyer in Surrey for Free

If you have a calculator printout and no idea whether to trust it, that is a normal place to start. The first 30 minutes with us are free, in English or Punjabi, by phone, video, or in person at Suite 201, 3108 Croydon Drive in South Surrey. Call (778) 381-9977 or Book Now for a Free Consultation.

This page is legal information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, speak with a lawyer.