1. Figure out if you can use the service

The Child Support Service may be used to change child support when the payor parent’s income has changed.

The service can be used to update child support only if all of these things are true:

• You’re asking for a change in child support based on the child support table amount only.
• Your current child support is based on the child support table amount only.
• You, your partner, and the children the support is for, live in Ontario.
• You have a current court order on child support that order was made in Ontario.
• All the children the support is for are younger than 17.5 years and not married.
• You don’t have shared custody or split custody.
• The parent paying child support doesn’t earn “complex income”.

Complex income means that at least one of the following applies to the payor parent. They earn:

• less than $12,000 a year or more than $150,000 a year
• over 20% of their income from self-employment, rental income, or seasonal jobs
• most of their income as a director, partner, officer, or majority shareholder
• most of their income in cash that is not reported on their income tax return

You cannot use the service to:

• Change child support if you or your partner used the service to decide or update child support less than 6 months ago.
• Ask for retroactive child support. This means you can’t use it to ask for child support for any time in the past.

Special or extraordinary expenses

You can use the service to add new or make changes to the following special or extraordinary expenses:

• child care expenses
• medical and dental insurance premiums
• health-related expenses

But, you can only include them if you and your partner agree:

• on the amount of the expenses to be shared
• that you won’t include any amount your child pays towards the expense

You can’t use the service if the special or extraordinary expenses are for:

• extracurricular activities such as competitive sports classes
• educational expenses, including post-secondary education or private school fees

Other reasons

There are many other reasons why you may want to change child support. For example:

• Your child finishes school, marries, or moves out on their own.
• Your child is working full-time.
• Your child is living with the other parent or a different person.

There are other ways to change child support if you don’t meet the conditions to use this service. If you and your partner agree on child support, you can make a separation agreement.

If you don’t agree, you can try alternative dispute resolution, or you can go to court.