The Federal Child Support Guidelines:
Step-by-Step

December 31, 2011

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This publication is not a legal document. It contains general information and is provided for convenience and guidance in applying the Federal Child Support Guidelines.

© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada (2012)
 (Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada)

Table of Contents

• Before you start
• Step 1: figure out which guidelines apply
• Step 2: determine the number of children
• Step 3: determine the parenting arrangement
• Step 4: find the right table
• Step 5: calculate annual income
• Step 6: find the table amount
• Step 7: dealing with special expenses
• Step 8: dealing with undue hardship
• More information on calculating annual income
• Orders and agreements
• Who can help you?
• Enforcing a child support order or agreement
• Changing an existing child support order or agreement
• Glossary
• Questions and answers
• Directory of resources
  • Provincial and territorial child support information
  • Maintenance Enforcement Programs contact information
  • Sources of more information
• Worksheets and line-by-line help
  • Line-by-line help for Worksheet 1—Calculating your annual income
  • Line-by-line help for Worksheet 2—Special expenses
  • Line-by-line help for Worksheet 3—Undue hardship
• Worksheet 1—to calculate your annual income for child support purposes
• Worksheet 2—to calculate your share of special expenses
  • Part A—Total annual amount that you and the other parent spent on special expenses
  • Part B—Total amount of special expenses that you and the other parent have to share
  • Part C—Sole custody arrangement
    Paying parent's share of special expenses if no spousal support is being paid to the other parent
  • Part D—Sole custody arrangement
    Paying parent's share of special expenses if spousal support is being paid to the other parent
  • Part E—Split custody arrangement
    Parents' share of special expenses if neither of you pays spousal support to the other parent
  • Part F—Split custody arrangement
    Share of special expenses if one of you pays spousal support to the other parent
• Worksheet 3—Claim for undue hardship
  • Part A—To establish the household standard of living for parent A's household
  • Part B—To establish the household standard of living for parent B's household
• Child Support Amount Record—shared custody arrangement
• Child Support Amount Record—split custody arrangement
• Child Support Amount Record—sole custody arrangement

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