It is now easier for families to keep their child support amounts updated through the Child Support Recalculation Service (CSRS).

After a successful pilot project in Kelowna, changes to the Family Law Act have enabled the expansion of the program provincewide to include orders and agreements registered in all provincial court registries.

“This program is important for the changing needs of children and families in British Columbia with child support arrangements,” said David Eby, Attorney General. “We’ve heard from families that this new approach is a faster and more convenient way to ensure child support amounts are accurate, avoiding the time and expense of having to ask a court to review their child support.”

The CSRS is a free program that reviews eligible orders and written agreements for child support. The program adjusts the amount of child support payable if the paying parent’s income has gone up or down. Instead of applying in person every year, parents can now enrol to have child support payments automatically recalculated annually.

“Updating child support has been a huge barrier for many clients here at Rise,” said Kim Hawkins, executive director of Rise Women’s Legal Centre. “This service is going to make an important difference for eligible clients, and we are excited to see future expansions of this service.”

The criteria that make orders and agreements eligible for this service have also expanded, allowing the program to serve more B.C. families. Parents can go online to submit their recalculation applications or speak to a child support recalculation officer over the phone, toll-free, on weekdays between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

Quick Facts:

• To apply for the recalculation service, both parents or guardians must be B.C. residents and there must be an existing order or written agreement for child support from the Province of B.C.
• Child support amounts are calculated based on the current income of the payor.

Learn More:

To find out more about the Child Support Recalculation Service, visit: https://childsupportrecalc.gov.bc.ca