Child Support When the Other Parent Lives Outside Ontario

When the other parent moves to another province or another country, it is natural to wonder whether your Ontario child support rights move with them. Under the Family Law Act, a parent's duty to support a qualifying child applies whether or not the parents were ever married, but it does not extend to a child who is 16 or older and has withdrawn from parental control. The practical steps for getting and collecting an order can change a great deal once a parent lives elsewhere.

This article explains the main routes Ontario sets out for cross-border support, which table is used to work out the amount, and what to gather before you speak with a lawyer. Your own facts, including where each person lives and whether you already have an order, will decide which route fits.

The duty to support does not stop at the border

Every parent must support an unmarried child who is a minor, is in a full-time program of education, or cannot withdraw from parental charge because of illness, disability or other cause, to the extent the parent can pay. The duty does not extend to a child who is 16 or older and has withdrawn from parental control. That duty applies whether or not the parents were ever married.

Which law governs the amount depends on your history. If you were never married, or are married and separating without divorcing, the provincial rules apply, which in Ontario means the Family Law Act and O. Reg. 391/97. If you are divorcing, the Divorce Act applies and the court must follow the applicable guidelines.

Which table sets the amount

For a payor who lives in Ontario, the Ontario table is used. Justice Canada says to use the table for the province or territory where the paying parent lives, together with the number of children being supported. The 2025 Federal Child Support Tables took effect on October 1, 2025.

If the paying parent lives outside Canada, the Ontario table applies when the other parent lives in Ontario. Otherwise, the table for the applying parent's province or territory applies. Where the payor earns over $150,000, special rules on the income above that figure can apply.

Getting an order when the payor lives elsewhere

Under the Interjurisdictional Support Orders Act, 2002, a claimant in Ontario may start a proceeding in Ontario to get an order in the reciprocating jurisdiction where the respondent habitually lives. Reciprocating jurisdictions include all Canadian provinces and territories, all U.S. states and more than 55 other countries.

Some places require an Ontario provisional order, which has no legal effect until a court there confirms it. FRO names Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Hong Kong, Quebec, New Zealand and South Africa as examples, and also names Australia for spousal support only. These lists are set by regulation and practice and can change, so confirm the current position before relying on it.

If the other parent is in a country that is not a reciprocating jurisdiction, Ontario's guidance is to talk to a lawyer about the options.

What does not work for cross-border cases

Ontario's online Child Support Service is not available if either parent or any child lives outside Ontario. It is also unavailable for imputed income cases, shared parenting, self-employed payors, and payors earning over $150,000 or under $12,000.

If you already have an order or an order from elsewhere

A support order filed with the Family Responsibility Office (FRO) is enforced by the Director, and once it is filed no one else may enforce it. Orders made in court are automatically filed with FRO. While a case is registered, the payor must make all payments through FRO.

FRO's tools for missed payments include suspending the driver's licence, suspending federal licences including the passport, deducting from federal government payments, reporting to the credit bureau, placing liens on property, and default hearings. How far any of these can reach a person who lives elsewhere depends on the facts, and a lawyer can confirm.

If an order was made in another reciprocating jurisdiction and is registered in Ontario, it has the same effect as an Ontario support order. For an order made outside Canada, a party has 30 days after notice of registration to move to set the registration aside.

What to do next

• Write down where the other parent lives now, and since when.
• Collect any existing order or separation agreement and any FRO account details.
• Gather the other parent's recent income information if you have it.
• Note where each child lives.
• Ask a lawyer which route fits, and whether a provisional order is needed where the payor lives.

Frequently asked questions