Family Justice

Basics of Family Law

Child Support

Where can I find more information on child support?

If you are receiving BC Employment and Assistance, please contact your Family Maintenance Worker or go to the Ministry of Employment and Income Assistance Website. (Under BC law, anyone who applies for BC Employment and Assistance - and who has the right to receive spousal or child support - must "assign" their maintenance rights to the government. Once those rights are assigned, the BC government takes over the responsibility to obtain, change and enforce the order on that person's behalf.)

For everyone else, a lawyer is a good source of information and advice. Our section on Getting Legal Advice explains what a lawyer can do for you and how to find one you want to work with.

We also recommend you attend Parenting After Separation, a free, three hour information session for BC parents who are dealing with child custody, guardianship, access and support issues. (Parenting After Separation is required in some communities before you can go to court.)

In addition, the federal government has put out a series of publications explaining the child support guidelines. These include:

• a booklet called The Federal Child Support Guidelines: Step-by-Step , providing information on how to use the child support rules and tables, and
  
  
• Federal Support Guidelines: A Workbook for Parents. This workbook is written for parents (1) who have a regular income from a salary or wage, and (2) who have a sole-custody arrangement - that's where the children live most of the time with one parent.

The BC government has also published a series of one-page BC Child Support Updates on how the child support guidelines specifically affect BC families.

The Legal Services Society is also a good source of general information on child support. LSS has published:

• Two booklets on how to change child or spousal support orders in Provincial (Family) Court, one for couples who agree to the change and one for couples who don't. These booklets are available on The Law Centre web site.
  
  
• A video called Making Your Case: The Family Court Process, which shows a couple going through the process of changing a support order in court. The video is available for a free two-week loan within BC. To order, fill out the video booking form. [PDF]
  
  
• This booklet discuss the legal issues surrounding separation and divorce:

Living Together, Living Apart: Common-law relationships, marriage, separation, and divorce [PDF]

• An on-line self-help kit for parents who want to change a child support order originally made in either Supreme Court or Provincial Court.