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We Have Custody of Our Grandchild: Can We Get Child Support?

Biological parents are always child support payers under the Child Support Guidelines and they always pay the full table amount. When a child is in the care of someone who is not a biological (or adoptive) parent, each biological parent is required to pay full table support – unless the child has been adopted as adoption severs the legal ties between a child and parents. If a parent is not self-employed or earns most of his or her income from a source other than a salary, government benefits or other predictable and easy-to-calculate source, then child support is a simple calculation done using the Child Support Guidelines and the tables. It is so simple, that there is an online government service for calculating and setting up child support that can replace court if the support payor and support recipient agree.

When the parties do not qualify for that service or someone does not agree to use it, it may be necessary to go to court, although there are still other alternatives to court – either mediation, mediation/arbitration or Collaborative Practice. For even more information about child support, and the options for getting it, pick up a copy of this easy-to-understand book on Ontario Family Law and see a top Family Law Lawyer.

For big expenses in relation to children, there may be additional child support obligations. Orthodontics, child care, high-level sports, medical expenses and other large expenses would be “section 7 expenses.” The Child Support Guidelines say the cost of such expenses should be shared by all “parents” – the custodial parents and the biological parents – in proportion to their incomes. For more information on child support and section 7 expenses, listen to the podcasts to the left. 

John Schuman Guide to the Basics of Ontario Family Law book cover

You can get a lot more information about Ontario Family Law issues, including a comprehensive explanation of parenting cases (parenting time and decision making), child support, spousal support, property division, and most other common family law issues by downloading this $9.99 Kindle eBook, Kobo eBook, or iBook for your iPad or iPhone or ordering it from Amazon as a paperback. But to understand how the law works precisely in your situation, it is always best to speak to a good Family Law Lawyer.

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