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While undergoing a legal separation, you need to ensure financial support for your children. It’s the federal law one must follow after deciding to split up legitimately.
It’s applicable for both parents if they’re earning. And, you are obliged to provide until children reach the legal age to support themselves.
There is more to it.
Here, I will elaborate on the guidelines for Child support. Most importantly, there will be essential information on how to apply for child support.
How Child Support Works
The overall support amount will vary depending on the guardian’s average income and the child’s needs. Learn about the 6 things you must know here.
When to Start the Process
The very first thing you do is- negotiate and sign agreements for custody and granted access. After that, you proceed with child support.
Different Circumstances for Couples
The circumstance for all couples certainly won’t be the same. To make it clearer- you two might not have lived together.
Also, maybe you lived following the common law. Or, you were married and had a customary family life. Regardless of the circumstance, you must comply with the rules and regulations for child support.
Both Parents Need to Provide
Even if you don’t have the primary custody of children, you need to take care of them financially. Both parents have to share a specific amount from their incomes.
And, the amount will be the same for both of them.
Things You Need to Provide for
Generally, you’ll carry Medical bills, educational expenses, and payment for the living arrangement. In addition, a physically challenged child won’t be able to live independently.
For that, you have to support outside the legal age as well.
Determining the Amount
The amount will be generated considering the gross of both parents, average living cost, provincial income tax, and the average cost for bringing up a child.
A few more things will matter too. Such as- the number of children, their age must be eligible to receive child support, and the province you live in.
Based on the aspects, you get a table amount.
The Judge Must Sanction the Amount
A judge will thoroughly assess the financial agreement between a couple for children. And, it’ll be done before he signs the papers for the separation.
If the judge finds the amount is insufficient, the agreement will be rejected.
Applying for Child Support
You can apply for it both online and offline. Gladly, the process is the same for both options. Still, there are important details you need to know.
Online Application
Suppose you want to complete the entire process online. In that case, you will have to upload softcopies or scanned copies of all the necessary documents.
To find the form online, you need to visit the government website of the province you are residing. Completing the application form and uploading documents will take you around 40 minutes.
However, it might take longer. Just make sure you are providing the required data and papers.
In-person Application
I already mentioned that both processes are the same. Keeping that in mind, you should bring photocopies of the required document.
Also, you should collect the application from the government office of your province. Then you fill it out and submit the form along with the other documents.
Information and Documents Needed
You must be wondering about the document and information required for the process. Check the sections below.
Information You Should Have
Date of birth, current address, contact information, and driving license- you and your partner needed to be included in the application form.
The child’s information is also essential, including first name, last name, date of birth, birthplace, parents’ name, and which parent children are currently living with.
If you’re are not the biological parent, this information is desired from you- the relationship between the child and birth parent, marital status, financial status, details of your lawyer, relative’s information.
Verifying with the Court
The court will ask for a few other data from both parents. Those will help to authenticate the application.
In that case, you need to give the court- data of the last 3-years’ tax turn of employment, the tax status of the previous 3 years, salary and employment proof of the current year, the average amount of your daily spending, utility bills.
And, 3 years will be counted from the day you will be submitting the Child support application form. For daily spending, they might ask for receipts.
Verifying the Current Status of a Couple
You might not be married, or the process for the separation hasn’t started yet.
If you fall under any of the two, you need to give the court these, a legal claim for child support under the family law act, a statement for the child support, an affidavit for the desired service.
If you are divorced, then these are the documents you need to prepare- application form, a statement of disclosure, a letter for financial information
Submitting the Application
After you are done with the steps mentioned above, submit the application. In other words, you now file the claim. Next, you will be said to attend sessions in court with your partner on a specific date and time.
Final Thoughts
You see, the process is fairly complex. It’s good to know about the entire procedure beforehand. However, you can always visit the government website, office or call them if you need any clarifications.