How to Apply for Child Support in Ontario: First Steps

If you have recently separated and have no support order, it is hard to know where to begin. The process has a few clear stages: gather income information, choose a route, file or sign the paperwork, and make sure payments can be enforced if needed.

This article walks through those stages in order. It is general information, and details can vary with your situation, so a lawyer can confirm the steps for your case.

Step 1: Understand what support is based on

The basic child support amount depends on the number of children, the province where the paying parent lives, and the paying parent's annual income. Updated tables took effect on October 1, 2025. Special or extraordinary expenses, such as certain child care and medical costs, can be added on either parent's request.

For a rough idea of the figure, Ontario recommends the federal simple calculator for an estimate. As an example, the Ontario one-child table shows $554 a month at $60,000 of income, plus 0.92% of income over $60,000. Shared parenting of 40% or more of the time changes the analysis.

Step 2: Gather income documents

Income is generally determined using the Total income sources on the T1 General. The paying parent must give the other parent or caregiver proof of income every year, including their last income tax return and most recent notice of assessment or reassessment.

• Your last few years of tax returns and notices of assessment, which also helps if the court looks at more than one year.
• Recent pay stubs or business statements.
• Records of child care, medical, dental, school and activity costs.
• A written outline of the current parenting schedule.
• Any existing agreement, even an informal one.

If the paying parent owns a corporation or is hard to pin down on income, the court has tools to look beyond declared figures.

Step 3: Choose how to arrange support

Ontario describes three ways to arrange child support. The official guidance refers to a paying parent or caregiver and an other parent or caregiver, so it is not limited to parents.

Notices from the Child Support Service issued on or after October 1, 2025 use the 2025 table. If you need money while the case is pending, interim orders are possible for divorce applications.

Step 4: If you go to court, choose the right court and file

Divorce and property claims are heard only in the Superior Court of Justice. The Ontario Court of Justice does not hear divorce or property cases, and in 25 locations a unified Family Court hears all family matters, including child support. Which guidelines apply depends on whether you were married and whether you are divorcing.

You file Form 8 (general application) plus a Continuing Record. If you ask for support, financial disclosure is required: Form 13 for support only, or Form 13.1 for property or debts, with Form 13A. Parenting claims need Form 35.1 signed before a commissioner.

Filing is free at the Ontario Court of Justice, while the Superior Court may charge a fee unless the party qualifies for a waiver. The Superior Court does not schedule a first appearance, so you must book your own case conference.

Someone at least 18 other than you must deliver the documents by special service, and you then file Form 6B (Affidavit of Service). Where a first appearance is scheduled, the respondent has 30 calendar days to answer if served in Canada or the US, and 60 calendar days elsewhere.

Finally, register with FRO and know its limits

If you used the online service or the court, your support is filed automatically with FRO. A written agreement can still be registered by mailing or faxing a copy to FRO.

FRO enforces the order as written, and only a judge can change the amount of support in an order. FRO also says to contact them right away if you fall behind.

What to do next

• Gather your income and expense documents this week.
• Decide whether an online application, an agreement or a court filing suits your situation.
• If there are parenting disputes, high or complicated income, or a business involved, speak with a family lawyer before filing.
• Keep copies of everything you file or sign.

Frequently asked questions