Tab 5
Child Support: Monthly Support, Section 7 Expenses, and Arrears
Child support belongs to the kids, not to you. Even if both of you agree to skip it, the court can still enforce it later.
The basic monthly amount
The Federal Child Support Tables set the monthly amount based on the payor's income, the number of children, and the province. Someone in Ontario earning $80K with 2 kids pays a fixed amount per month. Going above the Table is fine. Going below the Table is hard — a judge can refuse to approve an agreement that pays less without a very good reason.
Section 7 expenses (the extras)
The basic amount covers normal stuff: food, clothing, housing share, school supplies, basic activities. Section 7 covers the big extras. Childcare (daycare, before/after-school care, summer camp when needed for work). Medical and dental beyond OHIP (braces, glasses, therapy, prescriptions, mental health counselling). Post-secondary education (tuition, books, residence, sometimes living costs — the biggest Section 7 expense for most families). Major extracurricular activities (competitive sports, music lessons with expensive instruments). Education for special needs.
How Section 7 expenses are split
Usually split proportionally to each parent's income. If Party 1 earns 65% of combined household income and Party 2 earns 35%, the daycare bill gets split 65/35. Example: $1,200/month daycare. Combined income $120K (Party 1 makes $78K, Party 2 makes $42K). Party 1 pays $780, Party 2 pays $420. You can also agree to 50/50 — proportional is just the default.
Retroactive support and arrears
If you separated a while ago and one parent owed support but has not been paying, the unpaid amount is called arrears. It is still owed. Three options: calculate and pay (figure out what was owed each month, total it, pay over time), negotiated lump sum (pick a number that feels fair to both), or mutual release (both parties wave the past — usually used when neither party was clean).
Ready to start your agreement?
Use the calculator to estimate support, or start a guided Ontario separation agreement now.