Canadian family law · Spousal support
Spousal support advisory guidelines calculator.
Enter both gross incomes and the years of marriage or cohabitation to see the SSAG range for monthly amount and duration under the without child support formula.
Inputs
SSAG range
Enter both incomes and the years of marriage.
How do the Spousal Support Advisory Guidelines work?
The Spousal Support Advisory Guidelines (SSAG), written by Carol Rogerson and Rollie Thompson for the Department of Justice Canada, are advisory. They are not legislation, and they assume entitlement to spousal support has already been established. The without child support formula applies where there are no dependent children, including long marriages whose children are now grown.
Amount. The range is 1.5 to 2 percent of the difference between the spouses' gross incomes for each year of marriage (or cohabitation), up to a maximum of 50 percent. The range stops growing at 25 years, fixed at 37.5 to 50 percent. The upper end is capped at the amount that would equalize the spouses' net incomes; this tool uses gross incomes only and cannot apply that cap.
Duration. 0.5 to 1 year for each year of marriage. Support is indefinite (duration not specified) if the marriage lasted 20 years or more, or if it lasted 5 years or more and the years of marriage plus the recipient's age at separation total 65 or more. Indefinite here still allows variation and review.
Ceiling and floor. The formulas operate between gross payor income of $20,000 (floor) and $350,000 (ceiling). Above the ceiling the formula is not applied automatically to the extra income; this tool shows the range at $350,000.
Worked examples from the SSAG. A 20-year marriage, payor $90,000 and recipient $30,000 gives 30% to 40% of $60,000: $1,500.00 to $2,000.00 a month, indefinite. A 4-year marriage, $60,000 and $20,000 gives 6% to 8% of $40,000: about $200.00 to $266.67 a month for 2 to 4 years. These match Examples 7.1 and 7.2 in the Guidelines.
The with child support formula, which depends on each spouse's net disposable income after child support, is not included here.
Frequently asked questions
How much is spousal support in Canada under the SSAG?
Under the without child support formula, between 1.5 and 2 percent of the gross income difference per year of marriage, up to 50 percent. For a payor at $90,000 and a recipient at $30,000 after 20 years, that is $1,500.00 to $2,000.00 a month.
How long does spousal support last under the SSAG?
The range is half a year to one year of support for each year of marriage, so a 12-year marriage gives 6 to 12 years. Support is indefinite after 20 years, or under the rule of 65 once a marriage has lasted at least 5 years: for example 12 years plus a recipient aged 53 totals 65, so support is indefinite (duration not specified).
Are the SSAG law?
No. They are advisory guidelines that courts and lawyers use widely, but a court or an agreement can depart from them. They also assume the recipient is entitled to support in the first place.
What about marriages with young children?
Where there is a child support obligation for dependent children, a different formula (with child support) applies. It uses net disposable income, which this tool does not compute.
Why does the tool stop at $350,000 and $20,000?
The SSAG set a ceiling of $350,000 and a floor of $20,000 of gross payor income. Outside that band the formulas do not operate automatically and the case is dealt with as an exception.
Sources
Checked
- Justice Canada: Spousal Support Advisory Guidelines (July 2008), ch. 7, the without child support formula
- Justice Canada: Spousal Support Advisory Guidelines (July 2008), ch. 7 cont., duration and the rule of 65
- Justice Canada: Spousal Support Advisory Guidelines (July 2008), ch. 11, ceilings and floors
- Justice Canada: Spousal Support Advisory Guidelines, The Revised User's Guide (2016)
The amount and duration rules, the rule of 65, the net income cap and the ceiling and floor are from chapters 7 and 11 of the 2008 SSAG; the worked examples are Examples 7.1 and 7.2. The Revised User's Guide (2016) confirms the without child support formula remains in use. Runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you type is sent or stored.
Not legal advice
Information only, not legal advice. The SSAG are advisory, assume entitlement, and do not replace the net income cap check, the with child support formula, restructuring or the exceptions. A lawyer or mediator can apply them to your facts.