1. Find out how much your partner makes

The amount of child support is based on your partner’s gross annual income and the number of children they have to support.

Gross income means income before taxes and most other deductions. There are two ways to find this amount:

• Look at line 150 of the payor parent’s income tax return or notice of assessment from the Canada Revenue Agency.
• Look at pay stubs for a full year and add up the earnings before deductions.

Payor parents must give detailed information about their income. This is called financial disclosure. It can include:

• income tax returns and notices of assessment for the last three years
• pay stubs or statements from employers
• financial statements of any business they own
• statements from employment insurance, a pension, and worker’s compensation  
• proof of income from a trust

It is very important that you get complete and honest information. You should not sign or agree to anything until you’re sure you have all the information you need.

Sometimes financial documents do not show the whole picture of what a partner makes or could be making. This can be because they are hiding income.