Child Support Guidelines in Ontario: What They Are and Who Uses Them

If you are separating, you will probably hear people say that child support is set by "the guidelines". You may then find there is a federal version and an Ontario version, and it is not obvious which one is yours.

This article explains what the Guidelines are for, how the two versions fit together, what goes into the amount, and where the standard approach can change. It is general information, not advice on your own case.

What the Guidelines are for

The Federal Child Support Guidelines aim to set a fair standard of support for children and to reduce conflict between spouses. Instead of each family arguing from scratch, the Guidelines use tables and rules so that similar families end up with similar results.

Under the Divorce Act, a court may order a spouse to pay support for any or all children of the marriage, and the order must follow the applicable guidelines.

Federal or Ontario version: which applies to you

The short version is that it depends on how your family is structured. The federal Guidelines go with the Divorce Act, which covers married spouses who are divorcing. Unmarried parents, and married parents who are not seeking a divorce, are generally dealt with under Ontario's Family Law Act and the Ontario Child Support Guidelines.

Ontario's government says the new table amounts apply to all Ontario child support matters starting October 1, 2025, but an order made before that date is not automatically changed by the 2025 tables. If you have an order from before that date, a difference between the old amount and the 2025 table amount may count as a change in circumstances, which lets a parent ask a court or the recalculation service to update the order.

What goes into the amount

The basic amount is the figure in the applicable table for the number of children under the age of majority, plus any special or extraordinary expenses under section 7. The table figure depends on the payor's annual income, the number of children and the province where the payor lives.

• Income starts from Total income on the T1 General tax return and is adjusted under Schedule III.
• No child support is payable by a payor whose annual income is below the $12,000 threshold.
• Updated tables took effect on October 1, 2025, and apply to support owed from that date.
• Special or extraordinary expenses, such as child care or post-secondary education, are paid on top of the table amount.

When the standard amount can change

The tables are the starting point, not the end of the story. The Guidelines allow different treatment in several situations.

• Shared parenting: if each parent has at least 40% of parenting time over a year, there is no automatic formula, and the court looks at both table amounts, the added costs of shared arrangements and each household's circumstances.
• Split parenting: if each parent has a majority of parenting time with at least one child, support is the difference between the two table amounts.
• Undue hardship: a court may order a different amount if a spouse would otherwise suffer undue hardship, though the claim must be denied if the claimant's household would have a higher standard of living.
• Stepparents: for a spouse who stands in the place of a parent, the amount is what the court considers appropriate, not automatically the table amount.
• Adult children: the court may apply the Guidelines as if the child were a minor, or set an amount it considers appropriate.

Parents can also agree on something different, but they cannot simply contract out of support. With both spouses' consent, a court may award a different amount if it is satisfied that reasonable arrangements have been made for the child's support.

What to do next

• Work out whether you are married, and whether either of you is seeking a divorce.
• Note the parenting schedule over a full year, as it can change which rule applies.
• List child-related costs such as child care, health expenses and activities.
• If you already have an order made before October 1, 2025, remember it does not change automatically.
• Speak with a family lawyer to confirm which Guidelines apply and how.

Frequently asked questions