- For married spouses who are divorcing, a court may order support for any or all children of the marriage, and the order must follow the applicable guidelines.
- The basic amount comes from a table based on the paying parent's income, the number of children and the province where that parent lives, plus any special or extraordinary expenses.
- Stepparents, adult children and very high earners are treated differently from the usual case, so your own facts matter.
Child support is meant to meet a child's financial needs after parents separate. Most people want to know the same few things: who has to pay, who receives it, for which children, and how the amount is worked out.
This article explains the basic rules in plain language. It is general information, not advice. Your family's facts, including whether you were married, can change how the rules apply.
Which laws apply to child support in Ontario
The Federal Child Support Guidelines aim to set a fair standard of support for children and to reduce conflict between spouses. 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.
The Divorce Act applies only to married spouses who are divorcing. Unmarried parents, and married parents who are not seeking a divorce, are dealt with under Ontario's own family law rules instead. How those rules apply to you depends on your situation, so it is worth confirming with a lawyer. Ontario's government says the new table amounts apply to all Ontario child support matters starting October 1, 2025.
Which children are covered
Under the Divorce Act, a child of the marriage is a child of two spouses or former spouses who is under the age of majority and has not withdrawn from their charge. It also includes an adult child who cannot become independent because of illness, disability or another cause. The age of majority is set by the law of the province where the child habitually lives.
For adult children, the court may apply the Guidelines as if the child were a minor. If it considers that inappropriate, it may set the amount it considers appropriate, having regard to the child's condition, means, needs and other circumstances.
Who pays and how much
Who pays depends on the facts, including how parenting time is shared. Where each parent has at least 40% of the time with a child over a year, the arrangement is treated as shared parenting. The basic amount is the table amount for the number of children, plus any special or extraordinary expenses under section 7. The table amount depends on the paying parent's annual income, the number of children and the province where the paying parent lives.
Updated federal tables took effect on October 1, 2025. They apply to support owed from that date, while the 2017 tables apply to the period from November 22, 2017 to September 30, 2025. Here are some monthly amounts from the 2025 Ontario table at the start of each income band.
| Payor income | One child | Two children | Three children |
|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $450 | $744 | $1,003 |
| $75,000 | $695 | $1,144 | $1,501 |
| $100,000 | $932 | $1,517 | $1,984 |
| $150,000 | $1,327 | $2,135 | $2,781 |
Amounts inside a band are slightly higher, because each band adds a percentage of income above its starting point. For example, the $50,000 to $50,999 band for one child is $450 plus 1.26% of income over $50,000. No child support is payable under the tables by a payor whose annual income is below $12,000.
Special situations
- Stepparents: a child of the marriage includes a child for whom one spouse is the parent and the other stands in the place of a parent. That person's support is the amount the court considers appropriate, having regard to the Guidelines and any other parent's legal duty to support the child, so it is not automatically the table amount.
- Ending the relationship: the Supreme Court of Canada has held that a person who took on a parental role cannot end the relationship to avoid paying child support for stepchildren.
- Income over $150,000: the court may order the full table amount, or it may use the table amount on the first $150,000 plus an amount it considers appropriate for the rest.
- Shared or split parenting: different rules apply when each parent has substantial time with the children.
- Undue hardship: a court may order a different amount if a spouse would otherwise suffer undue hardship, but the claim must be denied if that spouse's household would have a higher standard of living than the other's.
A court can also depart from the Guidelines amount in some agreed cases, but parents cannot simply contract out of support. The court must be satisfied that reasonable arrangements have been made for the child.
Extra expenses on top of the table amount
Section 7 covers child care, medical and dental insurance premiums, certain health costs, extraordinary school costs, post-secondary education and extraordinary extracurricular activities. These are paid on top of the table amount, and the court decides on them at a spouse's request. The guiding principle is that the spouses share the expense in proportion to their incomes, after deducting any contribution from the child.
What to do next
- Gather your last three years of tax returns and notices of assessment.
- Write down the parenting schedule your family actually follows.
- List child care, medical, school and activity costs with receipts.
- Note whether you were married, and whether any stepparent was involved.
- Speak with a family lawyer before signing an agreement or filing court forms.
If you already have an order made before October 1, 2025, the new tables do not change it automatically. A lawyer can help you decide whether to ask for an update.
Frequently asked questions
Does the parent with less time always pay?
Not always. If each parent has at least 40% of parenting time over a year, the court looks at both parents' table amounts and other circumstances rather than applying a fixed formula. Split parenting, where each parent has the majority of time with at least one child, works by set-off.
Can adult children get child support?
Sometimes. A child of the marriage can include an adult child who cannot become independent because of illness, disability or another cause. For adult children the court may apply the Guidelines as if the child were a minor, or set another appropriate amount.
Do the new 2025 tables change my existing order?
No, not automatically. A difference between the old amount and the 2025 table amount may count as a change in circumstances that lets a parent ask a court or the recalculation service to update the order.
Does a stepparent have to pay child support?
It can happen where the stepparent stands in the place of a parent. The amount is what the court considers appropriate, not automatically the table amount. Whether that applies to you depends on the facts, so it is worth confirming with a lawyer.
Sources
- Federal Child Support Guidelines, s. 1 — Justice Laws (federal)
- Divorce Act, s. 15.1 — Justice Laws (federal)
- Justice Canada – 2025 Update to the Federal Child Support Tables — justice.gc.ca
- Ontario.ca – Arranging child support — ontario.ca
- Federal Child Support Guidelines, Schedule I notes — Justice Laws (federal)
- Federal Child Support Guidelines, Schedule I – Ontario table — Justice Laws (federal)
- Justice Canada – Step 7: special or extraordinary expenses — justice.gc.ca
- Justice Canada – Step 3: parenting time arrangement — justice.gc.ca
Links go to official government, court and regulator pages. The law changes — confirm you are reading the current version.
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