What Parents Need to Know About the New Federal Child Support Tables
If you’re paying or receiving child support for your kids, you’ll want to know that October 1, 2025 marks the in-force date of an updated version of the Federal Child Support Tables.
This is the first update since 2017, and it’s an important one. But before we get into those changes, here are some of the basics about what those Tables are, and what they may mean to your child support situation.
What are the Federal Child Support Tables?
If you are the parent of a child, and are separating or divorcing in Canada, you’ll be reassured to know that our Family laws provide a structured, predictable framework for determining the child support that is owed in your circumstances.
This framework is contained in the Federal Child Support Guidelines. These are regulations, and they cover important topics relating to child support – such as how “income” is calculated for child support purposes, and how special or extraordinary expenses related to your kids are allocated between you as parents.
One of the most important things those Guidelines contains, is called the Federal Child Support Tables (the “Tables”). These Tables set out various standard monthly child support figures that are based on a formula, with the calculations being based on two key variables:
- The paying parent’s gross annual income (before deductions), and
- The number of children for whom support is being paid.
The purpose of the Tables is simply to produce a baseline “Table amount” for child support obligations. This can then get adjusted by a court – either up or down – depending on other factors that it may consider.
Do the Table Amounts Apply to My Divorce?
If you’re married and now involved in a divorce in Canada (under the federal Divorce Act), then the federal Child Support Table amounts will apply to your situation.
If you’re an unmarried parent in Ontario, you are essentially treated the same for these purposes. That’s because your child support amounts are set out in provincial legislation that has been harmonized with the federal one. It takes the form of a regulation called the Child Support Guidelines, O. Reg. 391/97, and it effectively mirrors the federal Tables exactly.
How Do I Get Started Using the Tables?
The federal Tables apply to divorces across Canada, but they are still province- and territory-specific. If you’re a support payor in Ontario, this means you start by referring to the specific part of the Table that corresponds to that province. (This remains true even if the recipient parent lives elsewhere).
From there, the procedure is pretty simple: Using your income and number of children, you simply look in the Table at the appropriate row and column for Ontario.
Remember, the amount of Table-based support you see is only a base figure. The Guidelines also allow for adjustments to be made to account for things like special or extraordinary expenses (e.g. child care, medical/health insurance, educational costs, extracurriculars), since these are generally shared between you and the other parent, in proportion to your respective incomes.
Are There Exceptions to the Child Support Table Amounts?
Yes. If you happen to be the support-paying parent but you earn a very low income, there might be different rules and calculations for you. There is a bottom threshold (an adult personal reserve) beneath which you do not owe the Table amounts of support.
Conversely, if you earn more than $150,000 per year, there are different rules as well; these may see you paying an added amount over the support amounts that correspond with that threshold.
Are the Table Amounts Otherwise Ironclad?
The Child Support Guidelines, and the embedded Tables, all reflect the government’s established legal and social policies on how child support is to be allocated between parents.
This means that in most cases, Family judges must not deviate from the Table amounts unless there are exceptional circumstances. This includes those rare situations where, for example, sticking to the Table amounts would cause undue hardship to the support-paying parent.
OK, So What’s Changing on October 1, 2025?
On October 1, 2025, newly-updated Federal Child Support Tables will come into force across Canada. These are the result of recent amendments to the Federal Child Support Guidelines.
Among other things, the Table amounts for child support have undergone a widespread update, to reflect changes to the tax rules as well as shifts in social policy. The goal is to have the Tables better align with current economic and fiscal conditions.
Are the Changes Retroactive?
You may be wondering about the timing of these Table changes as they might apply to you. Here are the key points:
- For any new child support calculations or court orders that begin after October 1, 2025, only the new Table amounts will be considered; the previous Table amounts (enacted since 2017) will no longer be in play.
- The changes to the Tables are not retrospective. In other words, the new Tables will not automatically apply to existing support orders made after 2017 under the old Tables. With that said, a court can look at all the circumstances, and if it feels the new and old Table amounts different substantially, it may order a variation of the support.
Any Other Takeaways?
If you think you might be impacted by the changes to the Tables, here a few more things to keep in mind:
- If you are currently negotiating or drafting a child support agreement, or else applying to court for support post-October 1, 2025, be sure to rely on the new Tables, not the older ones.
- If you’re looking at online versions of the Tables, be cautious: Make sure they are up-to-date, and have incorporated the 2025 update. Better yet, check out the official version on the federal government website.
And always remember: the Table amount is just a starting point. Special and extraordinary expenses still need to be considered, as well as some other considerations. Be sure to get tailored legal advice, from an experienced Family lawyer, who can assess your situation fully.
