This quickstart walks you through a spousal support calculation in the Divorcepath calculator, from starting a calculation to downloading a report.
In Canada, spousal support amounts are usually estimated with the Spousal Support Advisory Guidelines (SSAG), published by Justice Canada. The SSAG are advisory, not law. They assume that a spouse is entitled to support, and they give a range (low, mid and high) for both the monthly amount and the duration of support. The calculator uses the "with child support" formula when child support is also payable, and the "without child support" formula when it isn't.
For more on how the formulas work, read How to Calculate Spousal Support. When there are children, child support is always calculated first. See How to Calculate Child Support in Canada.
Professionals: start from the client file instead. Open the matter, choose Calculations, then Spousal & Child Support (or Spousal Support if there are no children) and New calculation. To follow this guide step by step, turn off the Pro toggle at the top of the calculation.
Step 1: Start a calculation
From your home page, choose Spousal Support. You'll need a free Divorcepath account to save calculations.
Give the calculation a descriptive title and click Save. After that, your changes save automatically. Use Copy to try a different scenario, and Saved Calculations to reopen an earlier one. Options holds the calculation settings, including lump-sum and restructuring scenarios and what to include in reports.
Step 2: Background and relationship
Under Background, complete the details for you and your former spouse or partner: province or territory of residence, name (a placeholder name is fine), date of birth, and whether either person has a new partner, lives in a northern or rural area, or has a disability. Residence and age affect taxes and benefits, which matter a great deal for spousal support.
Then open Relationship and enter the dates you started living together and separated. The length of the relationship is measured from the cohabitation date, which may be earlier than the date you married. It drives both the amount and the duration of support.
Step 3: Children
If you don't have dependent children, skip this step. Otherwise, add each child with Add Child, enter their date of birth, and choose the parenting arrangement: You or Spouse if the child spends more than 60% of their time with that parent, or Shared if the child spends at least 40% of their time with each parent. You can also add special or extraordinary child expenses (section 7) with Add Expense.
With children, the calculator works out child support first and then uses the SSAG's "with child support" formula for spousal support.
Step 4: Income
Under Income, enter every source of income for both people, choosing the matching income type for each. Most of this can be copied from the "Total income" section of each person's most recent tax return (line 15000). Include non-taxable income too.
Below each person's income, use Guideline Income Adjustments for amounts that change the income used to calculate support, such as union dues or imputed income. Use Cash Flow Adjustments for amounts that reduce spendable income without changing that income. If there are children, you can also record an undue hardship claim under Claim Undue Hardship.
Step 5: Tax and benefits
The "with child support" formula compares each person's net income after taxes, government benefits and child support (their "net disposable income"), so accurate taxes and benefits matter. The calculator estimates them automatically. Review them under Tax & Benefits, where you can add amounts that weren't picked up or override an amount if your situation is unusual. Any changes are noted in your report.
Step 6: Review your results
Click Calculate if your results aren't already showing. The overview shows the spousal support range and its duration, child support, total support and each household's monthly budget.
The Spousal Support section in the detailed results shows the low, mid and high amounts:
Below the ranges, the Low Spousal, Mid Spousal and High Spousal tabs show each scenario's details. They include each person's share of net disposable income, taxes and benefits, and the after-tax cost and benefit of the support. Where an amount falls within the range depends on the circumstances of the case. Courts and lawyers often start from the mid range.
Step 7: Download a report
Click Get Report, choose a report type, and click Generate PDF:
- Detailed Report: spousal support, child support (if any) and both parties' finances, with explanatory notes, charts, calculation details and all inputs. Suitable for court, mediation or negotiation.
- Condensed Report: the same calculation details and inputs in a concise format, without the explanatory notes. Often preferred by lawyers and courts.
Reports, special expenses, all income types, and income adjustments and exceptions are included in paid plans.
Need more help?
Start a chat from inside the app or contact us. We can help you use the calculator and provide general legal information. If you need legal advice, including about whether you're entitled to spousal support, we can refer you to a family lawyer.
