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Difference between revisions of "Introduction to Family Law in British Columbia"
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Introduction to Family Law in British Columbia (view source)
Revision as of 13:49, 12 May 2013
, 13:49, 12 May 2013→Child support
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==Child support== | ==Child support== | ||
Child support is normally paid by the parent who has the children for the least amount of time to the parent who has the children for the most amount of time. Child support is paid to help with the children's day-to-day living expenses, and covers a lot of things, from new clothes to school supplies to the children's share of the rent. Child support is not a fee a parent must pay to see the children. Child support has nothing to do with custody or | Child support is normally paid by the parent who has the children for the least amount of time to the parent who has the children for the most amount of time. Child support is paid to help with the children's day-to-day living expenses, and covers a lot of things, from new clothes to school supplies to the children's share of the rent. Child support is not a fee a parent must pay to see the children. Child support has nothing to do with custody or guardianship; it has nothing to do with access, parenting time or contact; it has nothing to do with whether a parent is a good parent or a bad parent. A parent has a duty to pay child support just because he or she is a parent. | ||
Child support is almost always paid | Child support is almost always paid each month, in the amount set out in the [[Child Support Guidelines]]. A parent's duty to pay child support does not end until the child turns 19. It can last longer than that if a child has an illness or disability that prevents the child from earning a living, or if the child is going to university or college full-time. | ||
Normally a parent pays the exact amount of child support the Guidelines tables say should be paid. A parent can pay a smaller amount if the children's time is shared almost equally between the parents, if one or more children live with each parent, or if paying the amount required by the Guidelines would cause serious financial hardship. | Normally a parent pays the exact amount of child support the Guidelines tables say should be paid. A parent can pay a smaller amount if the children's time is shared almost equally between the parents, if one or more children live with each parent, or if paying the amount required by the Guidelines would cause serious financial hardship. | ||
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The basic amount of child support is intended to cover most of the children's expenses. Some expenses, called extraordinary expenses, are not covered in this basic amount. Typically, extraordinary expenses are expenses like daycare and orthodontics - big, important expenses that most but not all children need. | The basic amount of child support is intended to cover most of the children's expenses. Some expenses, called extraordinary expenses, are not covered in this basic amount. Typically, extraordinary expenses are expenses like daycare and orthodontics - big, important expenses that most but not all children need. | ||
Where the children have extraordinary expenses, the parents contribute to those | Where the children have extraordinary expenses, the parents contribute to those expenses in proportion to their incomes. For example, if one parent earns $30,000 per year and the other earns $20,000, the first parent would have to pay 60% of an extraordinary expense and the other would have to pay 40%. | ||
'''Further reading:''' | '''Further reading:''' | ||
*[[Child Support]], in particular the section on [[Child Support Guidelines]] | *[[Child Support]], in particular the section on the [[Child Support Guidelines]] | ||
==Spousal support== | ==Spousal support== | ||