How is support figured out in a divorce?

Child support starts with the Guidelines table

The Federal Child Support Guidelines set a table amount based on the paying parent's income and the number of children, intended to reflect what that parent would typically spend on the children if the family were together. It is largely formulaic rather than negotiated, which is why disclosure of income is the first and most contested issue in most support discussions.

Where parenting time is closer to shared, or a child's needs go beyond the standard table, the calculation adjusts — check the current Guidelines figures rather than relying on last year's numbers, since federal thresholds are updated periodically.

Section 7 expenses

Beyond the table amount, the Guidelines address special or extraordinary expenses under section 7: child care, medical and dental costs not covered by insurance, and significant extracurricular or education costs are the most common examples. These are generally shared between the parents in proportion to their incomes, on top of the table amount, and require the same receipts and disclosure as any other support figure.

Disagreement here is often less about the principle than about which expenses actually qualify as extraordinary, which is why keeping receipts and agreeing on categories early tends to prevent disputes later.

Spousal support has no fixed formula

Unlike child support, spousal support is not set by a table with the force of law. It depends on the length of the relationship, the roles each of you played, the standard of living during the marriage, and each spouse's ability to become self-sufficient, considered under the Divorce Act's objectives for spousal support orders. The Spousal Support Advisory Guidelines are used informally by many lawyers and judges to suggest a range, but they are not binding.

Whether spousal support is owed at all is often the harder question; the amount and duration, once entitlement is established, is where most of the actual negotiation happens.

Both depend on complete disclosure

Neither calculation means much without accurate income figures, and self-employment, bonuses, or income run through a corporation are the most common places disclosure gets contested. A court can impute income to a parent who is deliberately underemployed or who fails to provide proper disclosure, using a reasonable estimate instead of the figure the parent claims.

Interim support is usually set on preliminary numbers and adjusted once full disclosure is complete, so early figures should be treated as a starting point, not a final answer.

Changing support later

Support terms, whether in an order or an agreement, can be varied where there has been a material change in circumstances since they were set — most commonly a significant change in either party's income, or a change in parenting time that affects the child support calculation. A motion to change, or a fresh agreement, is the usual route; the original divorce or agreement does not need to be reopened entirely.

Support enforcement, once terms are registered with the Family Responsibility Office, does not require either of you to go back to court simply to collect what is owed.