child

When dealing with divorce it is very important to get kids out of conflict and put them first in a divorce. The goal of child support is that the parents split the financial responsibility associated with raising their children and protect the child from the economic impact of divorce or separation. This typically means that the non-custodial parent makes regular payments to help cover the child's basic needs. Money paid as child support is intended to be used for the care of the children involved. It is not for the custodial parent to use for their own expenses, but rather to be used on basic necessities of the child, such as food, shelter, childcare, education, and additional things the child enjoyed during the marriage.

Using the Federal Child Support Guidelines, child support is calculated accordingly however; other arrangements can be made between the parents to adjust the amount. Child support ends either by court order, when the child reaches the age of majority, or when the child completes their post-secondary education.

spousal

Spousal support is money that one spouse pays to another for their financial support after divorce or separation. In accordance with the Divorce Act, spousal support is paid if one of the following purposes is met:

• to compensate a spouse who sacrifices his or her ability to earn income during the marriage;

• to compensate a spouse for the ongoing care of children, over and above any child support obligation; or,

• to help a spouse in financial need arising from the breakdown of the marriage.

Spousal support is often calculated using the spousal support advisory guidelines, however, this is not mandatory and the amount may fluctuate depending on what is offered by the paying spouse. Determining spousal support amounts is complex and requires a family law professional to navigate.

special

The Federal Child Support guidelines defines special or extraordinary expenses as expenses that are necessary because they are in the child’s best interest, and; reasonable given the means of the parents and the child in light of the families spending patterns before separation and divorce. an expense for an extracurricular activity will be considered extraordinary if the activity itself is unusual or out of the ordinary or if the expense is unusually high in relation to the family’s economic circumstances.

This can include anything from child-care expenses, medical and dental premiums paid for the child, a child’s healthcare needs that exceed over $100 annually, post-secondary expenses, and other educational expenses necessary for your child’s particular needs.

These expenses are generally split between parents depending on their respective incomes, however, this is not mandatory and the amount to be shared can be determined by the parents.