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ARTICLE · 16 MAY 2017

Child Support Primer

The Ross Firm
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While separating spouses may bristle at the idea of providing financial support to each other, child support is an inescapable legal obligation.

CanadaFamily and Matrimonial
The Ross Firm
The Ross Firm

While separating spouses may bristle at the idea of providing financial support to each other, child support is an inescapable legal obligation. Although paid by one parent to the other, financial support is a right that belongs to the child itself. Our post this week provides a crash course on the basics of child support and how it functions after a separation or divorce.

What Child Support Covers

Child support ensures that a child continues to be cared for financially despite a family breakdown. It's designed to cover normal, basic expenses of daily living such as for housing, food, clothing and education.

How Child Support Payments Are Determined

A separating couple can agree in writing on how much one pays the other, or a court can make the decision for them. In both contexts, federal Child Support Guidelines serve as a starting point.

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