2. Decide if you’re asking for more than the table amount

The Child Support Service usually only decides child support in simple cases where the child support table amount applies. But it can also be used for some special or extraordinary expenses.

This means before using the service you have to decide if you're asking for more than the table amount of child support. And if so, which of your child's special or extraordinary expenses you want your partner to help pay for.

Table amount

The table amounts of child support are based on the gross annual income of the payor parent and the number of children they have to support. There is a separate table for each province and territory.

The table amount shows the basic monthly amounts of child support needed to pay for expenses like clothes, food, and school supplies. It's what the payor parent pays to meet the child's basic needs, just as if they were living with the child.

The Child Support Table Lookup is an online tool that helps you figure out your table amount of child support.

Special or extraordinary expenses

Expenses that are not covered in the basic monthly amount of child support are called special or extraordinary expenses.

You can use the service to add new kinds of special or extraordinary expenses only if they are:

• child-care expenses
• medical and dental insurance premiums of the child
• health-related expenses

But you can only include them if you and your partner agree on the amount of the expenses to be shared. And you also agree that you will not include any amount your child pays towards the expense.

You cannot use the service to add new special or extraordinary expenses that are for:

• extracurricular activities such as competitive sports classes
• post-secondary education
• other educational expenses, such as private school fees