Child Support in Alberta

The base child support amount comes from the Federal Child Support Tables based on the paying parent's gross annual income and the number of children. These amounts are presumptive - courts use them unless there's a good reason not to.

Beyond table amounts, parents share 'special or extraordinary expenses' proportionally based on income. These include childcare (for work/school), medical/dental not covered by insurance, educational expenses, and extracurricular activities.

When children spend at least 40% of time with each parent, the set-off approach typically applies. Each parent's table amount is calculated, and the difference is paid by the higher-income parent. Section 7 expenses are still shared proportionally.

Child support can be varied when circumstances change materially - income changes, children's needs change, or parenting arrangements shift. Courts can retroactively adjust support for up to three years in some cases.