Top Child Support Lawyer in Vancouver, BC
At Thomas and Associates, our child support lawyer knows how hard the divorce and separation process can be and will help you through this difficult time. We will aid you in your custody disputes and aim to ensure that your child support is fair and stress-free.
When a marriage breaks up and there are children involved, determining child support is part of the process of divorce. Our child support lawyer can help evaluate rights and obligations and provide child support calculations to clients.
Thomas and Associates has over 38 years of combined experience in divorce and family law. We believe that one of the most valuable things we can provide to a client is the peace of mind that comes from understanding the law and having a plan of action. We work with our clients to develop tailor-made solutions to fit their unique needs.
What is Child Support?
Child support is money paid by one parent to the other parent to provide for their children. Child support payments include fixed amounts for basic support as well as amounts to cover certain types of expenses such as educational or medical expenses.
Calculation of Child Support
Child support is calculated based on amounts set out in the Federal Child Support Guidelines. The amount of child support payable is calculated by looking up the payor parent’s income in the child support tables. The amount of child support payable for any given income will vary depending on the province the payor is a resident of, and the number of children.
What are the steps in Federal Child Support?
The federal child support guidelines govern the calculation of child support. In most situations, there are three major steps:
- Each parent’s Guideline Income is determined. This is a fairly simple process for parties who receive regular employment income. For parties who do not receive income in the form of a paycheck, such as self-employed parties, parties who receive investment income, trust income, disability income, or income from other sources, arriving at their guideline income may be more complicated.
- The Child Support Guideline Tables are used to determine the amount the payor parent must pay to the primary caregiver parent based on the number of children and the payor parent’s Guideline Income.
- The payor parent may be required to pay a share of the following additional “special or extraordinary” expenses:
- Extraordinary extracurricular activities;
- Extraordinary school related expenses;
- Post-secondary expenses;
- Child care expenses; and,
- Medical and dental premiums.
If the payor parent is required to pay a share of any of the above expenses, the incomes of both parents are taken into account, and the parent with the higher income will pay a greater percentage of the special or extraordinary expense.
Why Choose Thomas and Associates?
Our child support lawyer at Thomas and Associates is ready to assist you with every aspect of your case. We will work closely with you to determine what is the best approach in your situation. The right lawyer will help craft a customized legal strategy that is designed to provide optimal results in your legal matter.
At Thomas and Associates, our lawyers are experienced in determining child support in difficult situations. We have helped many parents sort through complex income determination. Our goal is to help you navigate the emotional, financial and legal challenges that your family law matter presents, making you journey forward as smooth as possible.
Get Started
Contact our office at (604) 549-9961 or toll-free at (855) 311-9961, or submit our Contact form.
All consultations are offered at Mr.Thomas’s regular hourly rate.