How is child support calculated in an uncontested divorce in Ontario?

Child support in all Ontario divorces — contested or uncontested — is calculated using the federal Child Support Guidelines. These guidelines set a base monthly amount tied to the paying parent's gross annual income and the number of children. The amounts are set out in tables attached to the guidelines; you look up the paying parent's province of residence, their income, and the number of children to find the table amount. This base amount is generally not negotiable — it reflects what Parliament determined children are entitled to, and courts are reluctant to approve agreements that pay less.

In addition to the base amount, both parents share "special and extraordinary expenses" (section 7 expenses) in proportion to their incomes. These include work-related childcare, uninsured health and dental expenses, post-secondary costs, extracurricular activities at a reasonable level, and similar outlays.

For shared parenting — where the children spend at least 40% of their time with each parent — a different calculation applies, taking both parents' incomes into account and looking at the net cost of supporting the children in each household.

In an uncontested divorce, the parents typically confirm their support arrangements in a separation agreement and present them to the court. If the agreed amount is below the guideline amount, the court may ask why before accepting it.