Canada Child Support Calculator 2026
Estimate child support under the Federal Child Support Guidelines (all provinces except Quebec) or the Quebec Model. Covers base amounts, shared custody at 40%+, and Section 7 special expenses.
By Sammy S. · Founder · AuthorUpdated for 2026
Estimates only — not legal advice. Courts make final determinations. Consult a family law attorney.
Child Support Calculator
Enter details to estimate payments
Federal Child Support Guidelines. Section 7 expenses added separately.
Parent A's custody %. Parent B calculated automatically.
Ontario · Federal Guidelines
Estimated Child Support
Weekly
$67
Biweekly
$134
Monthly
$291
Annual
$3,492
Income & custody split
Calculation breakdown
Guideline: Federal Child Support Guidelines (SOR/97-175) - 2025 Tables effective Oct 1, 2025
Updated: October 2025 · Official source
Recalculate if income changes by about 15–20% or more.
Shared custody can lower the paying parent's obligation.
This is an estimate only — courts make the final order.
Child support is generally not tax deductible or taxable income.
Add-ons like childcare, insurance, or medical costs can raise the total.
High-income cases above guideline caps often use court discretion.
Verify amounts with the official calculator for your location.
Consider a family law professional before relying on any estimate.
Estimate only — not a court order.
Select province or territory
13 provinces & territoriesNot sure which model applies? Quebec uses its own formula — all other provinces follow the Federal Child Support Guidelines.
Key facts — Canada child support
- Primary formulaFederal Child Support Tables
- Quebec exceptionOwn model — both parents' income
- Shared custody threshold40% parenting time (≈146 days/yr)
- Section 7 expensesShared proportionally by income
- CurrencyCanadian dollar (CAD)
- Official sourceJustice Canada guidelines
Other countries
The Federal Guidelines vs the Quebec Model — and why it matters
Canada runs two separate child support systems, and the difference isn't minor. The Federal Child Support Guidelines — used in every province and territory except Quebec — set a table amount based almost entirely on the paying parent's gross income and the number of children. The receiving parent's income is largely irrelevant at the base level; it only comes into play for shared custody adjustments and Section 7 expense allocation.
Quebec's model is structurally different. Both parents' disposable incomes (gross income minus deductions for taxes, CPP, EI, and union dues) are considered to calculate the basic parental contribution, which is then split proportionally. A parent earning $80,000 and a parent earning $40,000 would split the contribution at a 67/33 ratio. This means that in Quebec, a higher-earning receiving parent can end up with a noticeably lower payment than in a comparable federal-guidelines province.
Federal Guidelines (all provinces except QC)
- Based on paying parent's gross annual income
- Table amounts set per province
- Shared custody adjustment kicks in at 40% time
- Section 7 expenses split by combined income ratio
Quebec Model
- Both parents' disposable income considered
- Basic parental contribution from Quebec tables
- Split proportionally by each parent's income share
- 40% custody threshold also applies
Section 7 expenses are where the real variation lives
Most parents focus on the table amount, but in practice, Section 7 special expenses often add 20–40% on top of the base figure — and they're where disputes tend to concentrate. These are expenses the guidelines consider special or extraordinary: childcare costs that allow a parent to work or study, the child's portion of health/dental insurance premiums, out-of-pocket medical costs over $100/year, extraordinary extracurriculars, tutoring, private school, and post-secondary tuition.
The key point: Section 7 expenses are not split 50/50. They're allocated in proportion to each parent's net income. If Parent A earns $70,000 and Parent B earns $30,000 of combined $100,000, Parent A covers 70% of agreed Section 7 expenses and Parent B covers 30% — regardless of which parent incurred the expense.
What qualifies as Section 7
The 40% threshold — how shared custody changes the math
Canada's shared custody rule is straightforward on paper but often misunderstood. Once each parent has the child at least 40% of the time (roughly 146 nights per year, or just under 3 nights per week on average), the calculation shifts from a one-direction table lookup to a set-off approach.
Under the set-off method: both parents' table amounts are calculated — what each would owe if they were the paying parent — and the higher-income parent pays the difference. This can significantly reduce payments compared to a sole-custody arrangement. That said, courts have discretion; they may also consider the actual increased costs each parent bears by maintaining a home for the child, so the result isn't always a straight set-off.
Example: Parent A earns $80,000/yr (table for Ontario, 2 kids ≈ $1,254/mo). Parent B earns $50,000/yr (table ≈ $782/mo). Under shared custody, Parent A would pay the difference: approximately $472/mo, rather than the full $1,254/mo under sole custody. The 40% rule effectively acts as a substantial discount for the higher earner in shared arrangements.