Providing for the Children’s Needs
The Role of Child Support
Child support plays a vital role in maintaining a child’s stability and overall well-being. In Quebec, it is mandatory when parents separate. The amount is determined using a specific calculation that takes into account each parent’s income and the custody arrangement in place. Child support is intended to cover the child’s basic needs, such as food, clothing, health care and so on.
However, expenses that go beyond these essentials are considered special expenses. These may include uninsured medical costs, private school tuition, extracurricular activities, sports-related fees, and more. These expenses are shared between the parents, in proportion to their respective incomes.
Since child support is obligatory in Quebec, the parties generally cannot renounce to it, even by mutual agreement. To learn more about how child support and special expenses are calculated, don’t hesitate to contact our lawyers.
Ensuring Household Financial Stability
When financial matters are in question, reaching a fair and equitable arrangement can be challenging. That’s why our team offers strategic, rigorous support in establishing child support arrangements that respect the law.
- Request for arrears of child support
- Calculation or review of child support
- Contestation of child support
- Help with payment of child support
- Collection of child support
- Entitlement to child support for a child over the age of majority
- Child support for a disabled child
- Contribution to children’s special expenses
Spousal Support (Alimony)
Unlike child support, spousal support or alimony is not subject to a pre-established or standardized calculation. It is left to the discretion of the judge, who will take several specific factors into account in determining the amount and duration of support. These factors include:
- The length of the marriage
- The financial needs of the spouse requesting support
- The financial capacity of each of the spouses
- The roles and contributions of each spouse during the marriage, both financial and non-financial
- The standard of living established during the marriage
- The age and health of both spouses
- The ability of the claimant spouse to achieve financial independence
Spousal support serves several key roles:
- To recognize and compensate for the economic advantages or disadvantages arising from the marriage or divorce
- To fairly distribute the financial impact of child-related responsibilities and the obligation to provide for the child’s needs
- To mitigate the economic hardship caused by the divorce
- To support the financial independence of each spouse within a reasonable timeframe
It is important to note that spousal support is available only to legally married spouses. Common-law partners are not eligible for this form of financial support.
Because every situation is unique, it’s essential to consult a lawyer for personalized legal advice and a clear assessment of your chances of obtaining spousal support. Our team is here to guide you through each step of the process and provide you with a detailed legal opinion tailored to your case.
Establishing, Reviewing or Contesting Support Payments
You may need to initiate new proceedings or request a review of an existing child support agreement. Our lawyers can help you recalculate child support.