Do the October 2025 Child Support Tables Change My Existing Order in Alberta?

If you pay or receive child support under an order or agreement made before October 1, 2025, you may have heard that the child support tables changed. It is natural to wonder whether your monthly amount is about to go up or down, and whether you need to do anything.

This article explains what changed, which tables apply to which time periods, why your existing order does not simply update itself, and the usual ways parents ask for a recalculation in Alberta. It is general information, not advice on your own situation.

This article covers the law of Alberta.

What changed on October 1, 2025

Updated Federal Child Support Tables took effect on October 1, 2025. The new tables use 2023 tax rules, while the previous tables used 2017 rules.

The tables are the starting point for working out child support. The amount depends on the paying parent's annual income, the number of children, and the province of the payer. Income is taken from the Total income line of the T1 General tax form, adjusted under Schedule III of the Guidelines. Because the tax rules behind the tables were updated, the table amount for the same income can differ from before. How much it differs depends on your facts, so check the current tables or ask a lawyer rather than assuming.

Which tables apply to which periods

In Alberta, the 2017 tables apply to child support periods from November 22, 2017 through September 30, 2025. The 2025 tables apply to periods on or after October 1, 2025.

In practice, this means the new tables are tied to the period the support covers, not to the date your order was signed.

Divorce Act or Family Law Act: are the tables the same?

Yes. Alberta says the Federal Child Support Tables are used to calculate child support under both the Divorce Act and the Family Law Act. Alberta's Child Support Guidelines are made under the Family Law Act, and they adopt the Federal Child Support Guidelines in Schedule 1.

Which set of guidelines governs you depends on your situation. Divorcing spouses are under the Divorce Act, and the Federal Child Support Guidelines apply unless both spouses are habitually resident in a province designated by order. Unmarried, separated-but-not-divorced, and adult interdependent partners proceed under Alberta's Family Law Act and the Alberta Child Support Guidelines. Because Alberta's guidelines adopt the federal tables, the table amounts are the same.

Does my existing order change automatically?

No. Existing orders are not automatically changed by the 2025 tables. Until the order is varied or replaced, it generally stays as written, and the paying parent should keep paying what it says.

If the new tables would produce a different amount, that may count as a change in circumstances. For an order based on the tables, a change in circumstances is any change that would result in a different child support order. Under the Divorce Act, a court may vary, rescind or suspend a child support order, retroactively or prospectively, on application by either or both former spouses. Before varying, the court must be satisfied that a change of circumstances as provided for in the applicable guidelines has occurred, and the variation must follow the applicable guidelines.

Under the Divorce Act, if special provisions in an order or agreement directly or indirectly benefit a child, the court may award an amount different from the guideline amount where the guideline amount would be inequitable. How this applies to an order made under the Family Law Act depends on your situation, so it is worth confirming with a lawyer. If your order has terms like this, get advice before assuming the table amount will simply apply.

Ways to get an updated amount

• Agree on a new amount with the other parent and have it put into a proper written agreement or order. Whether an agreement can be enforced through Alberta's Maintenance Enforcement Program depends on its form, so confirm this first.
• Apply for a variation order, which is a court order changing the earlier one.
• Use a recalculation service, which Alberta notes as an option for parents.
• If your order is enrolled with the Maintenance Enforcement Program, note that its support recalculations are timed around the anniversary date of the court order, based on the most recent tax return.

A different table amount is not the only thing that may have changed. Incomes, parenting time and the number of children needing support can all matter too, so it is worth looking at the whole picture before you apply.

What to do next: income documents and a plan

After an order is made, a spouse must provide updated income documents on written request, not more than once a year, within 30 days if in Canada or the United States, or within 60 days if elsewhere. This applies while the child is a child under the Guidelines. A written request is often the first practical step.

• Find your order or agreement and note its date and amount.
• Gather your most recent tax return and notice of assessment.
• Send a written request for the other parent's updated income documents, no more than once a year.
• Compare the amount in your order with the current tables for the paying parent's income, number of children and province.
• Decide whether to negotiate a new amount, use a recalculation service, or apply to vary the order.
• Speak with a lawyer before applying if your income is unusual, parenting time is shared, or your order has special terms.

Frequently asked questions