If I get a new higher-paying job, will my spousal support payments go up?

If your income increases significantly after a support order is made, your ex-spouse may apply to vary the order to increase the amount of support you pay. A material increase in the payor's income is a classic example of a material change in circumstances that can support a variation application.

Courts would recalculate support using your new income under the Spousal Support Advisory Guidelines. If the new calculation produces a meaningfully higher range than the original order, a variation is likely. However, the increase must be genuine and sustained — a temporary bonus or a single good year may not justify a permanent increase.

On the flip side, if the recipient's income has also increased since the original order, those increases may partially offset the payor's increased income in the SSAG calculation, moderating the overall change. Variation runs both ways.

If you know your income is going to increase substantially, it may be worth proactively discussing with the other party or your lawyer whether a voluntary adjustment makes sense — courts look unfavourably on payors who wait to be taken back to court rather than acknowledging a changed financial reality. Transparency and good faith in support arrangements tend to produce better outcomes.