The Federal Child Support Guidelines:
Step-by-Step

Step 4: find the right table

Once you have figured out what kind of parenting arrangement you will have, you will need to determine which table applies in your situation.

This booklet uses the following terms to describe parents who pay or receive child support:

Paying parent
A paying parent is a person who pays an amount of child support.
Receiving parent
A receiving parent is a person who will receive an amount of child support.

You can find the tables as well as a convenient online Look-up by clicking on this link. If you need a paper copy and cannot print it yourself, you can get a maximum of two paper copies by calling the Department of Justice Canada's Family Law Information Line at 1-888-373-2222 or by e-mailing your request to fcyinfofea@justice.gc.ca. Since there is a separate federal table for each province and territory, please indicate which table you need.

You can use the chart below to help you figure out which table applies to you.

If you or the other parent has sole custody and

Then
you live in different provinces or territories use the federal table for the province or territory that the paying parent lives in.
you or the other parent lives outside Canada use the federal table for the province or territory the parent in Canada lives in.
you and the other parent both live in New Brunswick, Manitoba or Quebec refer to the provincial guidelines.

If you and the other parent split or share custody and

Then
you live in different provinces or territories use the federal tables for the province or territory each parent lives in.
you or the other parent lives outside Canada use the federal table for the province or territory the parent in Canada lives in.
you and the other parent both live in New Brunswick, Manitoba or Quebec refer to the provincial guidelines.

Example

Patrick and Michelle both live in Nova Scotia. Nova Scotia has not been designated (see Step 1: figure out which guidelines apply), so they use the federal table for Nova Scotia.