RESEARCH REPORT

Phase 2 of the Survey of Child Support Awards: Final Report

2004-FCY-7E

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Presented to:
Family, Children and Youth Section
Department of Justice Canada

The views expressed in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Department of Justice Canada or the Canadian Research Institute for Law and the Family.

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©  Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada,
     represented by the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada,
     2005

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• LIST OF TABLES
• LIST OF FIGURES
• ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
• EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
• 1.0    INTRODUCTION
  • 1.1   Background
    1.2   Study Approach
• 2.0    METHODOLOGY
  • 2.1   Research Design and Procedures
    2.2   Data Quality Issues
    2.3   Data Analysis Strategy
• 3.0    DESCRIPTION OF CASES
  • 3.1   Source of Child Support Order Information
    3.2   Disposition of Order
    3.3   Legal Representation
    3.4   Spousal Support Order Amounts
    3.5   Paying and Receiving Parent Incomes
    3.6   Number and Age of Children in Case
    3.7   Type of Custody Arrangements
• 4.0    CHILD SUPPORT ORDER AMOUNTS
  • 4.1   Relationship between Child Support Order Amounts and Table Amounts
    4.2   Relationship between Child Support Order Amount, Number of Children and Paying Parent's Income
    4.3   Order Amounts for Children at or Over the Age of Majority
    4.4   Child Support Order Amounts in Cases Where Paying Parent Income is $150,000 or Greater
    4.5   Special or Extraordinary Expenses
    4.6   Child Support Order Amounts in Cases of Shared or Split Custody
    4.7   Undue Hardship Applications
    4.8   Information to be Included in a Child Support Order According to Section 13 of the Child Support Guidelines
    4.9   Variation of Child Support Orders
• 5.0    CONCLUSIONS
  • 5.1   Trends over Time
    5.2   Objectives of the Child Support Guidelines
• ENDNOTES

LIST OF TABLES

Table 4.1

Total Child Support Order Amount in Relation to Table Amount by Paying Parent Income in Sole Custody Cases

Table 4.2

Total Child Support Order Amount in Relation to Table Amount by Year of Judgment in Sole Custody Cases

Table 4.3

Number of Cases Including Each Component Required by Section 13 of the Child Support Guidelines by Year

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 2.1

Percentage of Cases from Each Participating Province or Territory

Figure 2.2

Source Documents Used to Complete Survey

Figure 3.1

Type of Order Under the Divorce Act

Figure 3.2

Paying and Receiving Parents' Annual Incomes

Figure 3.3

Age Breakdown of Children Over the Age of Majority

Figure 3.4

Type of Custody Arrangements (as defined by the Guidelines)

Figure 4.1

Median Child Support Amounts in Sole Custody Cases by Paying Parent Income and Number of Children

Figure 4.2

Percentage of Cases Specifying Special or Extraordinary Expenses Under Section 7 of the Guidelines

Figure 4.3

Percentage of Cases Specifying Special or Extraordinary Expenses Under Section 7 of the Guidelines for Cases with Children Under and Over the Age of Majority

Figure 4.4

Median Monthly Child Support Award Amounts in Sole, Shared, and Split Custody Cases with Two Children by Paying Parent Income

Figure 4.5

Percentage of Cases Containing Information Required by Section 13 of the Federal Child Support Guidelines

Figure 4.6

Decision of Variation Application by Applicant

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