Quebec Child Support Laws: The Quebec Model Explained

Quebec is the only Canadian province that uses its own child support determination model instead of the federal tables. When both parents reside in Quebec, the Quebec model (modèle québécois) applies to every child support proceeding, including divorces governed by the federal Divorce Act. The model calculates support based on both parents' disposable incomes, not just the payor's income, and produces amounts that can differ substantially from what the federal tables would yield.

Which Guidelines Apply in Quebec

Canada operates a two-track child support system. The Federal Child Support Guidelines (SOR/97-175), made under the Divorce Act (RSC 1985, c 3 (2nd Supp.)), govern most divorce proceedings across the country. However, three provinces have been designated under the Divorce Act to substitute their own provincial guidelines: Manitoba, New Brunswick, and Quebec.

Quebec was designated by Order in Council SOR/97-237, registered April 22, 1997 and in force May 1, 1997. The designation identifies four legislative instruments as Quebec's "applicable guidelines" for Divorce Act purposes:

1. An Act amending the Civil Code of Québec and the Code of Civil Procedure as regards the determination of child support payments (SQ 1996, c 68)
2. The Regulation respecting the determination of child support payments (O.C. 484-97, C-25.01, r 0.4)
3. Title Three of Book Two of the Civil Code of Québec (SQ 1991, c 64)
4. Chapter VI.1 of Title IV of Book V of the Code of Civil Procedure (RSQ, c C-25)

The practical consequence is straightforward: if both parents ordinarily reside in Quebec, the Quebec model governs child support regardless of whether the parents were married and regardless of whether the proceeding is brought under the Divorce Act or Quebec's provincial family law. A Quebec court applying the Divorce Act uses O.C. 484-97 as the applicable guideline, not SOR/97-175.

The federal guidelines apply in one specific situation: a divorce in which the spouses are not habitually resident in the same designated province when the application is made. The Divorce Act (s. 2(1), "applicable guidelines") points to the Quebec model only if both spouses habitually reside in Quebec at that time.

If one parent lives in Quebec and the other lives in Ontario, British Columbia, or anywhere else, the federal tables (based on the payor's province of residence and gross income) then govern the basic amount. According to Quebec's Ministry of Justice, the parents may still agree to apply the Quebec model.

Outside divorce, the rule is different. An application made in Quebec by de facto spouses, or in a legal separation, dissolution of a civil union, or annulment of marriage, follows the Quebec model even if only one parent lives in Quebec.

For parents who were never married and who both reside in Quebec, Quebec's provincial family law and O.C. 484-97 apply directly, producing the same Quebec model calculation.

The Quebec Child Support Determination Model: How It Works

The federal approach sets a monthly table amount based exclusively on the payor's annual gross income and the number of children. The Quebec model works differently on almost every dimension. It considers both parents' incomes, calculates each parent's disposable income, apportions a shared parental obligation between them, and then adjusts the result for the specific custody arrangement.

Justice Canada's overview of provincial and territorial guidelines describes the Quebec model as one that "expressly takes into account the income of both parents" and may produce amounts "sometimes significantly different" from the federal table approach.

The Calculation in Brief

The detailed calculation follows the Child Support Determination Form (Schedule I to the regulation) and the table in the Regulation respecting the Basic Parental Contribution Determination Table (CQLR c C-25.01, r 12). In summary:

1. Disposable income. Each parent starts from their annual income from all sources (Part 2 of the form) and subtracts the basic deduction ($13,865 from January 1, 2026) plus any union and professional dues (reg. s. 9). Income tax, Employment Insurance and Quebec Pension Plan contributions are not deducted.
2. Basic contribution. The table gives an annual amount based on both parents' combined disposable income and the number of children. That amount is shared between the parents in proportion to their disposable incomes.
3. Custody time. The form has a separate section for each situation: sole custody (one parent has more than 60% of custody time), prolonged visiting and outing rights (the other parent has between 20% and 40% of the time), sole custody of different children by each parent, shared custody (each parent has at least 40% of the time), and mixed arrangements.
4. Expenses. Childcare, post-secondary and particular expenses are added, net of any benefit, subsidy, deduction or tax credit attached to them.
5. Ability to pay. Unless the court decides otherwise, having regard in particular to the parent's assets, support cannot exceed half of the paying parent's disposable income (reg. s. 8).

The exact thresholds, the formula for each section of the form, and a worked example using the 2026 table are on our page on how the Quebec child support model is calculated.

A court may increase or reduce the amount where a parent's assets or the child's own resources justify it, or because of a parent's support obligations toward children not covered by the application, if those obligations cause hardship (art. 587.2 C.C.Q.).

It may also do so where the amount would cause undue hardship for a parent. Under the Code, that hardship can result in particular from the costs of exercising access rights, support obligations toward persons other than children, or debts reasonably incurred for family needs.

The Child Support Determination Form

Every Quebec child support proceeding requires parents to complete the Child Support Determination Form, also called Schedule I to O.C. 484-97 (often called the "fixation form" or the "pension alimentaire determination form"). The form walks through each step of the model: annual income, the basic deduction and union and professional dues to arrive at disposable income, both parents' combined disposable income, the basic parental contribution from the table, each parent's distribution factor, the calculation for the custody arrangement, expenses, and ability to pay.

The form must be filed with the statement required under article 444 of the Code of Civil Procedure, completed by each parent about their own situation.

Readers who want to work through those same steps for their own numbers can use the Quebec child support calculator, which follows the official form line by line.

Each parent may complete their own separate form, or both parents may complete a single joint form if they agree on the inputs. Where parents complete separate forms and arrive at different amounts (because they disagree on income figures), a court resolves the difference.

Parents may agree to a child support amount that differs from the form result, but any such agreement must be reviewed and approved by a court. The court checks that the agreed amount sufficiently provides for the child's needs (art. 587.3 C.C.Q.), and the parents state the reasons for the difference in Part 7 of the form. This review requirement applies even to uncontested cases filed together as a joint application.

When the Amount Can Be Changed

Child support orders in Quebec can be varied when there is a material change in circumstances: a significant change in either parent's income, a change in custody arrangements, or a change in the child's needs. Because the Quebec model is based on both parents' incomes, an income change for either parent (not just the payor) can trigger recalculation.

Legal aid offices offer a low-cost online service, the Child Support Recalculation Service (Service administratif de rajustement des pensions alimentaires pour enfants, or SARPA), which updates support without going to court in simple cases where a parent's income has changed. They also offer the Homologation Assistance Service (SAH), a lower-cost way for separated parents to obtain a review of a family judgment. Both are open to parents whether or not they qualify financially for legal aid.

To keep support current, each parent must, at the other's request and no more than once a year, tell the other about their income (art. 596.1 C.C.Q.). A parent who fails to do so can be ordered to pay damages, including to cover the other parent's lawyer's fees.

Support can also be claimed for a child's needs that existed before the application, but not for more than three years back, unless the paying parent behaved reprehensibly toward the other parent or the child (art. 595 C.C.Q.).

Automatic annual indexation (described below) is separate from variation on changed circumstances. Indexation adjusts the existing amount each January 1 using the annual pension index. A variation application is needed when the change in circumstances warrants a fresh calculation under the model.

Automatic Annual Indexation

A distinctive feature of the Quebec model is automatic indexation. Under article 590 of the Civil Code of Québec, support payable as a pension is indexed by law on January 1 of each year using the annual pension index set under the Act respecting the Québec Pension Plan. According to Revenu Québec, the rate was 2% on January 1, 2026 (2.6% in 2025).

The indexation applies automatically without any court application or order variation.

This automatic adjustment differs from the practice under the federal guidelines, where existing orders made before the October 2025 table update do not automatically change, and a party must apply to court or an administrative recalculation service to obtain a new amount reflecting updated tables or changed incomes.

The Code does not provide for parents to waive indexation by private agreement. It is the court that may set a different index or order that support not be indexed, where applying the index would create a serious disproportion between the recipient's needs and the payor's means (art. 590, para. 2 C.C.Q.).

Age of Entitlement in Quebec

In Quebec, the age of majority is 18. A child no longer has an automatic entitlement to child support once they turn 18 and are not in full-time studies or otherwise dependent. However, courts can and regularly do extend support obligations past age 18 where the child remains unable to become self-supporting due to illness, disability, or continuing full-time education. This mirrors the approach under Divorce Act section 2(1), which extends "child of the marriage" status to adult children who cannot withdraw from their parents' charge by reason of illness, disability, or "other cause."

Post-secondary education is the most common reason for extending support in Quebec. Courts assess whether the education is reasonable, full-time, and being pursued diligently. The model's rules apply to an application by a parent who partly provides for an adult child, unless the child objects (art. 586 C.C.Q.; reg. s. 1). The court may then set a different amount, having regard in particular to the child's age, health, studies and degree of independence (reg. s. 2).

The rules do not apply when the adult child applies against the parents directly. Student financial assistance received by the child reduces the post-secondary expenses taken into account (reg. s. 9).

Enforcement: Revenu Québec and the Support Payment Collection Program

Enforcement of child support orders in Quebec is handled by Revenu Québec through the Support Payment Collection Program (Programme de perception des pensions alimentaires). This programme is Quebec's counterpart to the Maintenance Enforcement Programs operated in other provinces.

When a court issues a child support order in Quebec, it is automatically registered with the programme. The court can grant an exemption only if the payor sets up a trust guaranteeing payment, or if the parents apply jointly, the court is satisfied that their consent is free and informed, and the payor provides, within 30 days of the judgment, a cash security equal to one month of support (ss. 3 and 4 of the Act to facilitate the payment of support). The exemption ends, among other cases, if the payor misses a payment when due (s. 5). Automatic registration means Revenu Québec becomes the collection and disbursement intermediary from the outset: the payor makes payments to Revenu Québec (not directly to the recipient parent), and Revenu Québec forwards those payments to the recipient. This arrangement is different from the registration model in some other provinces, where enforcement enrolment may be optional unless a default occurs.

Revenu Québec's enforcement tools include wage garnishment (requiring an employer to deduct the support amount from the payor's paycheque and remit it directly), garnishment of bank accounts, interception of Quebec income tax refunds, and other provincial enforcement measures. These provincial tools are supplemented by the federal Family Orders and Agreements Enforcement Assistance Act (FOAEA, RSC 1985, c 4 (2nd Supp.)), which provides for interception of federal payments (income tax refunds, Employment Insurance benefits, Old Age Security, and other federal payments), tracing of a defaulting payor's address and employer using federal databases, and denial of passports and federal licences where a payor has failed to pay in full any three payments under the order or has $3,000 or more in arrears.

To reach Revenu Québec about support payments: 1-800-363-2070 (all regions). For people who are deaf or hard of hearing: 514-873-4455 (Montréal area) or 1-800-361-3795 (elsewhere in Canada, toll-free).

How the Quebec Model Compares to the Federal Tables

The differences between the Quebec model and the federal table approach are fundamental, not merely technical.

Under the federal guidelines, the basic child support amount is determined by three variables: the payor's province of residence, the payor's annual gross income, and the number of children. The recipient parent's income is irrelevant to the basic table amount. Custody arrangement matters only for shared custody (section 9) and split custody (section 8) adjustments.

Under the Quebec model, the recipient parent's income always matters. A recipient parent with a high income will see a lower payment than if the same family were governed by the federal tables, because the recipient's contribution to the basic parental obligation is accounted for. Conversely, a recipient parent with very low or no income may see a payment closer to (or higher than) the federal table amount for the payor's income level, because the distribution factor places nearly all of the parental obligation on the payor.

The disposable income base also produces different results from the gross income base used in the federal tables. The federal tables are constructed so that their amounts already account for taxes (the tables embed an assumption about the payor's tax burden by province), whereas the Quebec model subtracts only the basic deduction and union and professional dues from income, and its contribution table is revised each year mainly to reflect changes in the federal and provincial tax systems.

Because of these structural differences, it is not possible to compare a federal table amount with a Quebec model amount for the same parents without running both calculations with the actual figures. In high-income cases where one parent earns substantially more than the other, the two approaches may produce similar results. In cases involving shared or prolonged-access custody, the Quebec model's explicit custody-time adjustments produce outcomes shaped by the actual time division rather than a flat set-off.

For the rules that apply across all of Canada, see the Canada Child Support Laws hub.

Related Canadian Guides

• Canadian law by province and topic
• Child Support laws in Canada
• Quebec Recording laws
• Quebec Hit and Run laws
• Quebec Slip and Fall laws

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Quebec use the federal child support guidelines?

No. Quebec is a designated province under SOR/97-237, effective May 1, 1997. When both parents reside in Quebec, the Quebec child support determination model under O.C. 484-97 applies to all proceedings, including Divorce Act cases. The federal Child Support Guidelines (SOR/97-175) and federal tables do not govern the basic amount. In a divorce, if one parent lives outside Quebec when the application is made, the federal guidelines apply, unless the parents agree to use the Quebec model.

How is child support calculated in Quebec?

Each parent's disposable income is their annual income minus the basic deduction ($13,865 from January 1, 2026) and any union and professional dues; income tax, EI and QPP contributions are not deducted. The determination table then gives an annual basic contribution based on combined disposable income and the number of children, shared in proportion to each parent's disposable income. The amount is then calculated for the custody arrangement, and childcare, post-secondary and particular expenses are added. Unless the court decides otherwise, support cannot exceed half of the paying parent's disposable income. Parents complete the Child Support Determination Form (Schedule I to the regulation).

Does the Quebec model consider both parents' incomes?

Yes. This is the most significant difference from the federal tables, which use only the payor's income. The Quebec model calculates each parent's disposable income, derives a distribution factor for each (their proportional share of the combined income), and apportions the basic parental contribution between them accordingly. A higher-income recipient parent will see a lower net payment than under the federal tables.

What is the Child Support Determination Form in Quebec?

Schedule I to O.C. 484-97, commonly called the fixation form, is a mandatory calculation worksheet that parents must complete for every Quebec child support proceeding. It records each parent's gross and disposable income, the distribution factor, the basic parental contribution from the table, the custody adjustment, and any special expenses. The result is the guideline amount. Courts must review and approve any agreed amount that departs from the form result.

What are the custody thresholds in the Quebec child support model?

The regulation sets the thresholds by custody time. Sole custody: one parent has more than 60% of custody time; if the other parent has 20% or less, no adjustment applies. Prolonged visiting and outing rights: the other parent has between 20% and 40% of the time, and a compensation equal to (that parent's percentage minus 20%) times the basic contribution is deducted before the amount is shared. Shared custody: each parent has at least 40% of the time. The form also has a section for when each parent has sole custody of different children and another for mixed arrangements. Federally, only the 40% shared-parenting threshold (s. 9 of SOR/97-175) exists; the 20% to 40% band is unique to Quebec.

Is child support automatically indexed in Quebec?

Yes. Under article 590 of the Civil Code of Québec, support is indexed by law on January 1 of each year using the annual pension index of the Québec Pension Plan (2% on January 1, 2026). This indexation applies without any court application. Only a court can set a different index or order no indexation, where the index would create a serious disproportion between the recipient's needs and the payor's means.

Who enforces child support orders in Quebec?

Revenu Québec administers the Support Payment Collection Program (Programme de perception des pensions alimentaires). Support orders are automatically registered with the programme when issued: the payor remits payments to Revenu Québec, which forwards them to the recipient. Revenu Québec can garnish wages, bank accounts, and Quebec tax refunds. The federal FOAEA supplements these tools by intercepting federal payments and denying passports when a payor has failed to pay in full any three payments or has $3,000 or more in arrears.

Until what age does a child receive support in Quebec?

The age of majority in Quebec is 18. Support entitlement can continue past 18 where the child cannot become self-supporting due to illness, disability, or ongoing full-time education. Courts assess whether post-secondary studies are reasonable and diligently pursued. The model's rules apply to a claim by the parent who partly supports the adult child, unless the child objects, and the court can set a different amount in light of the child's situation. They do not apply if the adult child sues the parents directly.

Can parents agree to a different child support amount in Quebec?

Parents can agree to an amount that differs from the Child Support Determination Form result, but the agreement must be reviewed and approved by a court. The court checks that the agreed amount sufficiently provides for the child's needs (art. 587.3 C.C.Q.). Courts will not approve an agreement that simply reduces support for the parents' convenience without addressing the child's welfare.

What happens if the payor parent lives outside Quebec?

In a divorce, if the payor habitually resides in another province or territory when the application is made, the federal Child Support Guidelines (SOR/97-175) apply, because the Divorce Act points to the Quebec model only when both spouses reside in Quebec. The parents can still agree to apply the Quebec model. The federal tables use the payor's province of residence. Outside divorce (de facto spouses, legal separation, dissolution of a civil union, annulment), an application made in Quebec follows the Quebec model even if only one parent lives there.