Child Support - based on what??

Someone asked me the other day if they have to pay support on all their income: full-time, part-time, seasonal.. The answer is "that depends". And again, I am providing my knowledge of the Canadian Family Law system only.

Your regular full-time wages are used to calculate base child support. Trying to not include full-time income is not an option. Part-time income is also factored into the equation. The person asking me said they had over-time and wanted to know if that was also included. Most likely, yes IF it is consistent. Occasional over-time or one time deals most likely will be excluded. Yet bonuses do seem to be always thrown in and used when determining child support payments.

Seasonal income is usually averaged - the courts look at income earned over a specific period of time and base their ruling on that income. Most courts look at the last 3 yrs of earnings.

What if you are a stepparent - does your income play a role? ONLY if there is a claim of Undue Hardship by either parent. Your income will then have to be declared if a comparison of living test is warranted. I recommend you visit my other hub regarding Joint Bank Accounts for more advice.

What if you are on marriage #2, #3, etc and are actually getting support from another parent? Is this viewed as income? No, it is not. Any child support received has to be declared but is not included in base table calculations.

I always encourage parents to be completely transparent. You must be upfront and honest when declaring income. Try and hide anything and it is only a matter of time before you get caught. And then you have pretty much screwed yourself. Judges despise parents who try to scheme their way out of paying for their children.