MySupportCalculator is an online tool that helps you calculate both child and spousal support. In addition, it makes it easy for users to understand their rights and obligations regarding financial support.

MySupportCalculator helps all users despite their background or prior knowledge. It can be used by individuals and families navigating the complexities of child and spousal support, as well as lawyers and other legal professionals who need a reliable support calculator.

The calculator works by considering the income of both parties, the number of children involved and any other relevant information, such as special expenses like childcare or medical bills. Once inputting the data, the calculator will generate an estimated monthly payment amount for child and spousal support based on your province’s guidelines.

No, MySupportCalculator is not a government website. Instead, it is a private online calculator to help users make informed decisions about their rights and obligations regarding support.

MySupportCalculator uses the calculation engine developed by DivorceMate Software Inc. DivorceMate is a Canadian company that provides software for family law professionals.

Their software is used for various family law calculations, including child support and spousal support. MySupportCalculator provides a simplified version of this calculation software for use by individuals, using the same underlying calculation engine used by mediators, CDFA, lawyers and judges.

MySupportCalculator is a tool that makes the advanced calculations of DivorceMate accessible to the general public for personal use.

When the same information is input into MySupportCalculator and DivorceMate, they will provide the same child and spousal support results. However, detailed results are provided with DivorceMate Software, which is only available to legal professionals.

The free version of MySupportCalculator automatically considers the benefits and credits applicable to a specific situation. However, certain benefits and credits only apply in more complex situations. These are handled by MSC Advantage, which is the enhanced (presumably paid) version of MySupportCalculator. Additionally, at the same time, MySupportCalculator uses the same calculation engine as DivorceMate; detailed results provided by DivorceMate software are only available to legal professionals, suggesting that some advanced features or detailed outputs may not be included in the free version of MySupportCalculator.

Features of MSC Advantage – Paid Version:

• Considers sources of income beyond employment income, such as self-employment income, workers’ compensation benefits, cash, and other non-taxable income.
• Includes factors like dividends, capital gains, social assistance, and pensions in the calculation.
• Allows for numerous adjustments to income under the Child Support Guidelines (CSG) and the Spousal Support Advisory Guidelines (SSAG), such as grossing up non-taxable income and addressing expenses unreasonably deducted from income.
• Accounts for income taxed at a lower rate, stock options, and retained earnings.
• Considers tax deductions and credits beyond the general applicability.
• Takes into consideration contributions towards children’s special expenses, including child care, medical expenses, primary and secondary school educational expenses, post-secondary expenses, and extraordinary extracurricular activities.
• Addresses the impact of special expenses on spousal support under the SSAG.
• Factors in adult children attending college/university.

Yes, MySupportCalculator uses the Federal Child Support Guidelines for child support calculations. However, it also considers provincial and territorial guidelines. The Federal Child Support Guidelines in Canada govern child support for married couples. Every province and territory has either adopted the Child Support Guidelines or has a counterpart which mirrors this legislation for non-married couples. MySupportCalculator works for all provinces and territories except Quebec and ensures the support calculated is based on the guidelines applicable to your particular province and situation.

Yes! MySupportCalculator also lets users save their calculation results into a pdf file for easy access. This feature is helpful if you need proof of calculations for legal proceedings or future reference.

DivorceMate:

• Purpose: Designed for family law professionals to calculate child and spousal support.
• Calculations: Uses the Federal Child Support Guidelines and Spousal Support Advisory Guidelines.
• Detail: Provides detailed and precise calculations, often used in professional legal settings.
• Target Users: Family law lawyers, mediators, and legal professionals.

MySupportCalculator:

• Purpose: A web-based tool for individuals to estimate child and spousal support.
• Calculations: Also uses the Federal Child Support Guidelines and Spousal Support Advisory Guidelines.
• Detail: Provides quick and straightforward calculations for public use.
• Target Users: Individuals going through separation or divorce who need an estimate.

Conclusion:

While both tools calculate support using the same guidelines, DivorceMate offers more detailed and professional-grade results, whereas MySupportCalculator provides simpler estimates for individual use.

Split Parenting Time Scenario:

Bill and Janet have decided to go their separate ways and get a divorce. As a result, they are having difficulty agreeing on the parenting arrangements for their three children. But there is one thing they agree on—putting their children’s best interests first is essential. They both realize that their oldest child, 15-year-old Marc, is particularly close to Bill.

After discussing the issue with Marc, they all agree that it will be best for Marc to spend most of the time with his father. With the help of a mediator, Bill and Janet can also agree that the two youngest children, three-year-old Caroline and five-year-old Albert, will spend most of the time with Janet. I

n other words, Marc will spend more than 60% of the time with Bill, while Caroline and Albert will spend more than 60% with Janet over a year. This means that Bill and Janet will each have the most parenting time with at least one of the children.

This is because they have a split parenting time arrangement.

Shared Parenting Time Scenario:

Eight-year-old twins Malia and Emma are very worried. They have just discovered that their dad, Raoul, and mom, Lily, have decided to divorce and live in separate homes. Malia and Emma wonder where they will live. They are afraid that if one of their parents lives in a different house, they will never see that parent again.

This happened to one of their friends at school. Raoul and Lily listen to their children’s concerns. Then, they assure Malia and Emma that they love them very much and will always be their parents.

They also explain that the children will get to live in two houses. Lily and Raoul have a number of discussions and take a close look at their family’s situation to devise a workable plan for Malia and Emma. They explain to Malia and Emma that they will spend alternate weeks with each parent.

They will spend one week with mom, and they will spend the next week with dad. The schedule will vary a bit sometimes. For example, in the summer, Malia and Emma will spend a complete month with each parent. But they should not worry. Mom and dad will work together to ensure that their decisions are in Malia’s and Emma’s best interests.

Since Malia and Emma spend at least 40% of the time with each parent, Raoul and Lily have a shared parenting time arrangement for child support purposes.

Majority of Parenting Time Scenario:

Maria and Pedro have decided to divorce. However, their children, Christine and Manuel, struggle to cope with the idea. They are afraid of the changes it will mean in their lives. Maria and Pedro want to protect their children as much as possible.

They agree it will probably be better for Christine and Manuel to continue living in the family home with Maria. It is closer to their school and friends than Pedro’s new place to move to.

The children will spend a lot of time with Pedro, especially on weekends and holidays. But Maria and Pedro calculate that, over the entire year, the children will pay 65% of the time with Maria and 35% of the time with Pedro.

This means that Maria will have most parenting time for child support purposes, although they have decided that they will have joint decision-making responsibility.

Pedro will pay support as follows.

Yes, MySupportCalculator reports are accepted in most Family Courts across Canada. However, this does not guarantee a particular outcome or decision – each case is different and must be considered on its own merits.

It is best to consult with a mediator, CDFA or family lawyer who can advise you on your situation. In preparing to write this article, I searched the legal case law site canlii.org for family law cases for the keyword MySupportCalculator.

The keyword search found 17  Family Law cases with references to MySupportCalculator. In all the instances where Judge did not accept a submitted MySupportCalculator report, the problem was not the fault of MySupportCalculator, but a user error—mostly connected to not using the correct income amounts in the calculations.

The MySupportCalculator.ca calculator provides basic child and spousal support calculations based on limited information. However, it’s important to note that these calculations are not comprehensive and may not account for various factors that can significantly impact support amounts. The calculator is not a substitute for legal advice, and consulting a family law professional is highly recommended to understand your specific situation fully.

The calculator does not cover factors such as different sources of income, tax considerations, special expenses, custody arrangements, and other legal issues. If your situation involves any of these factors, the basic calculation may be inaccurate, and it is advised to seek professional legal assistance. Tap here for Full MySupportCalculator.ca limitations Statement

• Purpose: MySupportCalculator helps calculate child and spousal support, making it easier to understand financial obligations.
• User Base: Useful for individuals, families, and legal professionals.
• Applicability: Supports both married and non-married couples.
• Functionality: Considers income, number of children, and special expenses to generate support estimates.
• Non-Governmental: It’s a private tool using DivorceMate’s engine, ensuring accurate calculations.
• Free vs. Paid: The free version provides basic calculations, while the paid version offers detailed adjustments and income considerations.
• Features of Paid Version: Includes diverse income sources, tax credits, special expenses, and adjustments under guidelines.
• Guideline Compliance: Adheres to Federal Child Support Guidelines and provincial equivalents.
• Saving Calculations: Users can save results as PDF for legal use.
• Comparison with DivorceMate: Provides simplified estimates for public use, while DivorceMate offers detailed calculations for professionals.
• Limitations: Not suitable for complex cases or legal advice; professional consultation is recommended.