Child & Spousal Support

Child Support

Child Support is money payable from one parent to the other to support the financial needs of the child(ren) following separation. The Federal child support guidelines is divided into sections. The most commonly known are Section 3 and Section 7 child support.

Determining income for the purposes of support is not always straightforward. Most often people rely on Line 150 only, which is not always correct, especially when other forms of income are noted in the tax returns, a party is self-employed or corporations are a factor.

Extraordinary Expenses

In addition to Section 3Child Support, we also look at the extraordinary or Section 7 Child Support. These expenses are shared and for anything above and beyond Section 3 Child support such as dental, medical, child care and extracurricular activities.

Please click here for the official Section 7 guidelines

The percent that each parent contributes to extraordinary expenses is based on pro rata calculations of the parent’s incomes, adjusted for spousal support.

Spousal Support

Spousal support is the obligation of one party to provide the other party with financial support after a separation.  Not all relationships qualify for spousal support and there are many factors to be considered when negotiating this amount.

Spousal support can be a contentious and overwhelming discussion as it is often viewed as placing a value on the other party’s contribution to the marriage.  At Maes Divorce, we recognize this often leads to in depth discussions. We are well versed in helping both parties see how this component of the discussions fits into your big picture going forward.