Child Support Service

Child Support Calculation

Parents (or legal decision-makers) who have not determined child support may apply to the Child Support Service to administratively calculate child support amounts. An initial child support calculation is based on income from one or both parents, depending on the type of parenting arrangement.

Calculation applies if there is no previous agreement or court order for child support in place.

A calculation decision specifies the calculated child support amount and the start date of the payments. The decision is provided to both parties. If the decision is filed with the court, it can be enforced like a court order.

If they disagree with the decision, parents also have the option to apply to court for a child support order.

A calculation decision may be eligible for a recalculation if the income of the payor changes.

To have your support payments collected by the Maintenance Enforcement Office (MEO) or to request a child support recalculation, you must first file a calculation decision with the court. An affidavit must be completed and filed with the court with the calculation decision. An instruction sheet outlines the necessary steps to file the affidavit in court.

Child Support Recalculation

The Child Support Service can administratively recalculate child support payments if there is an existing child support agreement or order in place.

Recalculations can be completed six months from the date of the most recent agreement, court order, recalculation decision, calculation decision or family arbitration award. A party can apply by completing an application form.

The Child Support Service does not follow scheduled payment adjustments that may be set out in an existing child support document. For example, a clause that states payments will be adjusted based on the exchange of income tax in a specific month each year may not apply to recalculation. Child support amounts may increase, decrease, or there may be no change depending on the income of the payor.

A recalculation decision specifies the recalculated child support amount and start date. The decision is provided to both parties and filed with the court. If the parties notify the Service they have a case file with the Maintenance Enforcement Office, a copy of the decision is sent to that office.

Parties have 30 days to apply to court to vary or suspend the recalculation decision.

Any parent or guardian who needs to determine child support amounts may apply for Child Support Calculation. Parents who already receive child support may apply for recalculation after six months based on a change in income.

There is no cost for calculation or recalculation. Please note that the following restrictions apply:

Calculation and Recalculation of Child Support is NOT possible if:

• Payor has self-employment, farming, or rental income;
• The income of the payor is $150,000 or higher;
• A parent resides outside of Saskatchewan, unless that party agrees to use the service; or
• A court date has been set to hear an application for child support.

Calculation of Child Support is NOT possible if:

• Dependents are over the age of 18 (they may still be eligible for recalculation of child support).

Recalculation of Child Support is NOT possible if:

• Less than six months have passed since the date of the most recent child support order, agreement, recalculation decision, calculation decision or family arbitration award;
• The payor’s income in the order was imputed;
• The amount of support was not determined based on the Child Support Guidelines;
• Payor stands in the place of a parent (in loco parentis);
• The applicant is the payor and is not receiving income unless the recipient agrees to a recalculation; or
• The child support document indicates the child support amount cannot be recalculated.

Please contact the Child Support Service if your child support agreement was made prior to March 15, 2018, to determine your eligibility for recalculation.

The Child Support Service does not calculate or recalculate retroactive payments, arrears or extra-ordinary expenses as described under section 7 of the Federal Child Support Guidelines.

If you are ineligible for a calculation or recalculation, or if you would like additional information about your options, you may contact the Child Support Service directly.

The Family Law Information Centre will also provide information regarding your options at no cost. You can contact the Family Law Information Centre at familylaw@gov.sk.ca or by calling 306-787-5837 or calling toll free at 1-888-218-2822.

Alternatively, you may wish to contact a private lawyer.

Justice Canada has an online look-up to determine the amount of child support that would be payable based on the Federal Child Support Guideline Tables.

Request an initial child support calculation if you do not have an existing child support order or agreement.

How to Apply for Calculation of Child Support

Application for Calculation

Request a child support recalculation if you have an existing child support document such as:

• an agreement;
• court order;
• calculation decision;
• recalculation decision; or
• family arbitration award.

How to Apply for Recalculation of Child Support

Application for Recalculation

For recalculation, one of the above documents must be submitted with an application form. If you only have a child support agreement, the agreement must be filed with the Court of King’s Bench.

Once you have completed an application form and saved it as a PDF, please email it as an attachment to childsupportservice@gov.sk.ca or print and send to:

Child Support Service
Room 323 - 3085 Albert Street
Regina, SK  S4S 0B1

Fax: 306-787-2599

If you cannot access the form online, please contact the Child Support Service to request a copy of the application form or if you have any questions.

Income Information

The amount of child support is calculated and recalculated by applying the payor’s gross annual income to the Federal Child Support Guidelines.

The Child Support Service requires a payor to provide comprehensive income information, including paystubs, income tax documents and a sworn financial statement. The Service uses the most current income to determine child support amounts. In most cases, taxable income from the previous year is used for applications received between January 1 to April 30. Applications that are received from May 1 to December 31 would be calculated based on income for the current year.

Information Regarding the Other Party

If the payor does not provide financial statements or tax information directly, the Child Support Service can take steps to locate the other party, such as requesting information from an employer. However, when there is a lack of information regarding the other party, the Service has limited means to obtain income information. The Service requires as much information as possible to contact the other party even if that is only a phone number or email address.

Both parents must be aware of the application to proceed with a calculation or recalculation.

In some recalculation cases, if a payor refuses to share income information, the Child Support Service may apply to court to determine income based on the information it has. This is done by taking the payor's income listed in the previous child support document and calculating an additional 10 to 30 per cent based on how much time has elapsed. The intent is to ensure a child is getting a fair level of support if the payor is not updating their actual income.