Do I Have to Pay Child Support if I Do Not See My Child in British Columbia?

This answer covers the law of British Columbia.

Yes, in most cases you still have to pay child support in British Columbia even if you do not see your child. Each parent and guardian has a duty to provide support for the child. Support and parenting time are separate issues, so a paying parent cannot withhold support because of problems with parenting time or contact, and a parent cannot refuse parenting time because support is behind.

The amount usually comes from the child support guidelines. The starting point is the table amount for the payor's province plus any special or extraordinary expenses, and the table figure depends on the payor's income. Parenting time can change the amount in shared parenting, where each parent has at least 40% of the time, and in split parenting, where each parent has majority time with at least one of two or more children.

Parents also cannot agree to waive support, because it is the child's legal right. Separately, a child under 19 who voluntarily withdraws from the parents' or guardians' charge is generally not owed support, unless family violence or objectively intolerable circumstances caused it, and the duty resumes if the child returns. Your situation depends on the facts, so a lawyer can confirm where you stand.