Family law · Spousal support
SSAG with child support calculator.
Enter each spouse's net disposable income after child support to see the Spousal Support Advisory Guidelines range for amount and duration when there are dependent children.
Under the with child support formula, spousal support is set so the lower-income spouse ends up with 40 to 46 percent of the spouses' combined individual net disposable income (INDI) once child support has been taken out of each side. The guidelines are advisory, not law.
Inputs
Spousal support range
Enter both net disposable incomes and press Calculate.
Worked example
The guidelines' own Example 8.2 has Bob and Carol married 8 years with children aged 4 and 6. The length-of-marriage test gives 4 to 8 years and the age-of-children test gives 2 to 14 years, so the duration range is 4 to 14 years (low end from the marriage, high end from the youngest child finishing high school). For amounts, if the payor's INDI is $60,000 and the recipient's is $20,000, the combined pool is $80,000. The recipient must end with $32,000 (40%) to $36,800 (46%), so support runs from $12,000 to $16,800 a year, or $1,000 to $1,400 a month. That amount example is plain arithmetic on made-up incomes, not a figure from the guidelines.
How the with child support formula works
Chapter 8 of the Spousal Support Advisory Guidelines (SSAG) uses individual net disposable income. For the payor: Guidelines income minus child support minus taxes and deductions. For the recipient: Guidelines income minus a notional child support table amount, minus taxes and deductions, plus government benefits and refundable credits. The two figures are added together and spousal support is set so the lower-income recipient ends up with between 40 and 46 percent of the combined total. Mandatory pension contributions are not an automatic deduction.
Duration. Initial orders are indefinite (duration not specified) and the ranges guide later review or variation. The high end is the longer of the length of the marriage or the date the youngest child finishes high school. The low end is the longer of half the length of the marriage or the date the youngest child starts full-time school.
What this tool leaves out. It does not work out net income from gross, so you need figures from family-law software or an accountant. The guidelines' software also re-runs the tax calculation as support moves between spouses, which shifts the combined pool slightly; this tool takes your INDI as entered. It cannot apply the exceptions in chapter 12 or set a point within the range (chapter 9).
Frequently asked questions
How is spousal support calculated in Canada when there are children?
Under the SSAG with child support formula, support is set so the lower-income spouse receives between 40 and 46 percent of the spouses' combined individual net disposable income after child support is accounted for. The result is a range, not a single amount.
What is individual net disposable income (INDI)?
Each spouse's Guidelines income, less their child support contribution (a notional table amount for the recipient), less taxes and deductions such as EI and CPP. For the recipient, government benefits and refundable credits are added back. Mandatory pension contributions are not automatically deducted.
How long does spousal support last when there are children?
Initial orders are indefinite in form. The guidelines add an outside range: the high end is the longer of the length of the marriage or the date the youngest child finishes high school, and the low end is the longer of half the marriage or the date the youngest starts full-time school. Reviews and variations work within it.
Why is the range so wide?
The SSAG deliberately give a range because the factors in chapter 9, such as the strength of any compensatory claim and the recipient's needs, are used to pick a point within it. The 40 to 46 percent band was chosen to cover typical outcomes across Canada.
Are the Spousal Support Advisory Guidelines law?
No. They are advisory, and they assume entitlement to spousal support has already been established. A court or a negotiated agreement can differ.
Sources
Checked
- Justice Canada: Spousal Support Advisory Guidelines (July 2008), ch. 8, the with child support formula and duration
- Justice Canada: Spousal Support Advisory Guidelines (July 2008), ch. 11, ceiling and floor
The 40 to 46 percent range, the INDI definitions, the duration tests and Example 8.2 are from chapter 8 of the 2008 guidelines. Runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you type is sent or stored.
Estimate only — not legal or tax advice
This tool applies the published SSAG arithmetic to the net disposable incomes you enter. It does not calculate net income, apply exceptions, or choose a point in the range. The guidelines are advisory. Speak to a family lawyer, a mediator or a legal clinic before relying on any number.