How Much Is Child Support in BC? Table Amounts Explained

If you are separating, one of your first questions is probably a simple one: what number should I expect each month? In British Columbia the answer usually starts with a government table rather than a negotiation from scratch.

This article explains how the table works, shows sample figures, and describes the situations where the result can be different. It is general information, not a calculation of your own case.

This article covers the law of British Columbia.

The table amount is the starting point

Each parent and guardian has a duty to provide support for a child. Child support orders under the Family Law Act must follow the child support guidelines, and under the Divorce Act a court must also make a child support order in accordance with the applicable guidelines.

The presumed amount is the table amount for the payor's province of habitual residence, plus any special or extraordinary expense amount. The table amount depends on the payor's income alone. The recipient's income does not change the BC table figure, although it can matter for sharing special expenses and for some exceptions.

How to read the BC table

To use the table, you find the payor's province (British Columbia if the payor lives there), the number of children, and the income row in $1,000 steps. Monthly support is the basic amount for that row plus a percentage of income over the row's floor figure. The Guidelines give this BC example: two children and $51,250 of income is $807 plus 1.54% of the income over the $51,000 row floor, which comes to $810.85.

The table below shows sample monthly figures from the BC table as amended on October 1, 2025. Each percentage applies to income over the row's floor. These are only sample rows, so look up your exact $1,000 row in the official table or use an official calculator.

The Guidelines were last amended on 2025-10-01 (SOR/2025-166), which is when the current table figures took effect, and earlier versions had lower amounts. Tables can be amended again, so confirm you are using the version in force.

Extra expenses on top of the table

On a parent's request, a court may add amounts for certain expenses. These include child care costs tied to work, illness, disability or training, the child's share of medical and dental premiums, health costs above insurance by at least $100 a year, extraordinary school or educational program costs, post-secondary education, and extraordinary extracurricular activities.

These expenses are shared in proportion to the parents' incomes, after deducting any contribution the child can make, and the court must consider related subsidies, benefits, and tax deductions or credits. For school and extracurricular costs, "extraordinary" means more than the requesting parent can reasonably cover, so ordinary-sized costs are not added.

When the amount may be different

• Income over $150,000: the court may apply the table, or set the table amount for the first $150,000 plus an amount it considers appropriate for the rest.
• Shared parenting: if each parent has at least 40% of parenting time over a year, the court must consider the table amount for each parent, the higher costs of shared arrangements, and each parent's circumstances.
• Split parenting: where each parent has the majority of time with at least one of two or more children, support is the difference between the amounts each would pay.
• Undue hardship: a court may award a different amount if a parent or child would otherwise suffer undue hardship, but the claim must be denied if the claiming household would have a higher standard of living than the other parent's household.
• Agreement: a court may depart from the guidelines if the parties consent or have an agreement and reasonable arrangements exist for the child, and arrangements are not unreasonable merely because they differ from the guideline amount.

What to do next

• Start with the paying parent's income from the Total income heading of the tax return, which is then adjusted under Schedule III of the Guidelines.
• Find the exact $1,000 income row for your number of children in the official BC table.
• List any child care, health, school or activity costs you want to be shared.
• Note your parenting schedule, since 40% or more of the time can change the analysis.
• Speak with a lawyer if income is over $150,000, is hard to determine, or the schedule is shared.

Frequently asked questions