The Regulation respecting the determination of child support payments lays out the process of determining child support payments for parents who both reside in Quebec.
It defines the legal meaning of terms like “annual income”, “child care expenses”, “custody time”, “disposable income”, “post-secondary education expenses” and “special expenses”. You will need to understand the legal meaning of these terms to accurately determine the payable amount.
The Regulation works by first determining a basic parental contribution figure based solely on the parents’ annual disposable income and the number of applicable children. You can find that figure by consulting the Basic parental contribution determination table.
Take note that this table is adjusted every year by the Quebec government according to changes made to the federal and provincial tax systems, so make sure you are consulting the most current table!
While the Table sets out the basic parental contribution, that figure is then modified based on factors particular to your family situation, such as the children’s custodial schedule and any extraordinary childcare expenses (e.g., hockey camp, swimming lessons, particular healthcare expenses, etc.).
All of the principles laid out above are reflected in one simple form called the Child Support Determination Form (also known as “Schedule 1”). Fill it out to determine exactly how much is to be paid.