Richmond Hill Child Support Lawyer

Clarity & Guidance For Parents Facing Child Support Decisions

If you are going through a separation or divorce in Richmond Hill and are unsure how child support will work for your family, you are not alone. Parents often feel caught between protecting their children’s well-being and trying to manage rent or mortgage payments, childcare costs, and day-to-day bills. Our team at Feldstein Family Law Group P.C. helps parents understand what child support means under Ontario law so they can make informed decisions.

Since 1994, our firm has focused on family law across Ontario, including child support, custody, and separation agreements. We know that behind every guideline and number there is a real child, a home, and a parent trying to do what is right. We work with parents in this region to navigate the rules and procedures, and to look for fair arrangements that reflect both children’s needs and each parent’s financial reality.

Whether you are being asked to pay support, you are not receiving the support you rely on, or you simply want to be sure an agreement is fair before you sign it, our family law lawyers can walk you through your options and next steps.

To speak with our experienced Richmond Hill child support lawyers, call us at (905) 581-7222 or contact us online today. 

Support For Parents Facing Child Support Decisions

Most people do not expect to deal with child support when they first picture their family’s future. By the time parents in or near Richmond Hill come to us, they are often already managing a move, new schedules, school changes, and tensions with the other parent. On top of that, they may be facing pressure to agree to a support amount quickly, even if they are not sure it is sustainable or fair.

We regularly work with parents who are in different positions. Some are the primary caregivers who worry about covering housing, food, and activities if support is too low or not paid on time. Others are paying support and are genuinely concerned about whether the amount fits their income, especially if they have new living costs, job changes, or additional children in their household. Parents who commute to work from Richmond Hill into nearby cities often have complex schedules that affect parenting time, which in turn can influence support discussions.

Child support questions bring a mix of practical and emotional concerns. You may be worried about conflict with the other parent or about involving the court at all. Our role is to listen carefully, explain how Ontario’s child support rules apply to your situation, and help you consider approaches that keep your children’s needs at the center while respecting the realities of both households.

How Our Family Law Team Helps With Child Support

Our family law team assists parents with a wide range of child support issues, from setting up an initial arrangement to reviewing an existing order or agreement that no longer reflects the current situation. Whether your concern is the amount of support, a change in income, or non-payment, we can help you understand your options under Ontario law.

When you contact us, we work with you to understand your parenting schedule, your income and the other parent’s income, and the expenses that are important for your children. We then explain how the Child Support Guidelines may apply, and we discuss practical paths to move forward. These paths may include negotiating with the other parent, documenting an agreement, or, where needed, using the court process to seek or defend a support order.

Child support rarely exists in isolation. It connects with parenting time, decision-making responsibility, separation agreements, and sometimes property and spousal support. Because our firm focuses solely on family law, we are able to look at your situation as a whole, not only at one number. Our offices in Markham, Oakville, Mississauga, and Vaughan make it easier for parents living in Richmond Hill and nearby communities to access our team in a way that fits their work and family schedules.

Understanding Child Support In Ontario

How Child Support Is Determined

Child support in Ontario is guided by the Child Support Guidelines, which set out general amounts based on the paying parent’s income and the number of children. Courts in this province rely on these tables as a starting point, so it is important to have a realistic picture of income, including employment income and, where relevant, self-employment or other sources. Our goal is to help you see how these rules might apply in your case in clear, straightforward terms.

Special Expenses & Parenting Time

In many families, there are also special or extraordinary expenses that go beyond the basic table amount. These can include daycare so a parent can work, certain medical or dental costs, ongoing extracurricular activities, or education-related expenses. Parents often need guidance about which expenses may be shared, in what proportion, and how those costs should be documented. Parenting arrangements also matter. Shared or split parenting time can affect how support is calculated, and it is common for parents who share time between homes in Richmond Hill and nearby cities to have questions about how this works.

Why Personal Advice Matters

Online calculators can provide rough estimates, but they do not always reflect complex income, changing work hours, bonus-based pay, or detailed parenting schedules. They also do not explain how courts usually approach disclosure, proof of income, or disputes about what is reasonable. We take the time to walk parents through these concepts so they understand not only the numbers, but also the reasoning behind them.

Steps To Take If You Need Help With Child Support

When you are already feeling stressed, starting the process can seem overwhelming. Breaking it into clear steps can help you feel more prepared and make better use of your time with a child support lawyer.

Helpful steps you can start on now include:

• Collect recent income information, such as pay stubs, employment letters, and your last few income tax returns and notices of assessment.
• List your children’s regular expenses, including housing, food, clothing, school supplies, and transportation, as well as any special costs like daycare, medical needs, or activities.
• Write down your current parenting schedule, including overnights, after-school time, and how holidays and vacations are handled.
• Gather any existing court orders, separation agreements, or written arrangements about support or parenting, even if they are informal.

Once you have this information, we can help you understand what it may mean for child support. If you feel pressured to sign an agreement that you do not fully understand, it is often wise to pause and get advice before committing. Our team can review proposed terms, explain how they fit with the guidelines, and talk with you about whether they are likely to be workable in the long term.

Not every situation requires a court case. We can discuss different approaches, including negotiation between lawyers, the use of mediation, or, where necessary, bringing the matter before the court that serves families from this region. At each stage, we aim to provide clear explanations so that you can make choices that reflect both your financial position and your children’s best interests.

Why Parents Choose Feldstein Family Law Group P.C.

Parents choosing someone to help with child support are often looking for more than legal knowledge. They want a team that understands how child support fits into the broader picture of their family’s future. Since 1994, Feldstein Family Law Group P.C. has focused exclusively on family law in Ontario. This long-standing focus means we have seen how the law and court practices evolve, and how different child support arrangements work over time for families like yours.

Our offices in Markham, Oakville, Mississauga, and Vaughan make our firm accessible for parents living in Richmond Hill and across the surrounding area. Many of our clients balance demanding work schedules and parenting responsibilities, so we pay close attention to communication and scheduling. Our goal is to make it as straightforward as possible for you to connect with our family law lawyers and stay informed about your matter.

Education is also important to us. Through the monthly “Ask Andrew Show,” our founder Andrew Feldstein discusses real family law questions in plain language. This commitment to open, understandable information reflects how we work with our clients. We strive to explain your options clearly, answer your questions honestly, and help you weigh legal choices with a realistic view of risks and benefits.

Common Child Support Issues We See

Changes In Income & Circumstances

No two families are identical, yet many parents in this region face similar child support challenges. Seeing that your concerns are familiar and addressable can make the process feel less daunting. Our team regularly helps with a range of situations that arise as children grow and parents’ lives change.

Some parents contact us because income has changed significantly. That might be due to a job loss, a promotion, a new job with different hours, or a shift to self-employment. Others find that a support amount set years ago does not reflect current realities, especially when children are older and school or activity costs have increased. Parents who share parenting time between homes in and around Richmond Hill can also have questions about how shared or split arrangements affect support calculations.

Disclosure, Disputes & Special Expenses

We also see cases where one parent is concerned that income has been underreported or that full financial disclosure has not been provided. There may be disputes about what counts as a special or extraordinary expense, or about how those costs should be divided. In these situations, we work with parents to identify what information is needed, to review the available documents carefully, and to discuss the options for seeking an adjustment or enforcement through appropriate channels.

Across all of these scenarios, our focus remains on practical, child-centered solutions. We draw on our years of experience in Ontario family law to help parents understand what is realistic, what may be worth pursuing, and how different choices can affect their children and their own financial stability over time.

To speak with our experienced Richmond Hill child support lawyers, call us at (905) 581-7222 or contact us online today. 

Frequently Asked Questions

How is child support calculated in Ontario?

Child support in Ontario is generally calculated using the Child Support Guidelines, which set table amounts based on the paying parent’s income and the number of children. The court and lawyers typically start with these tables, then consider whether there are factors that may require adjustments, such as shared parenting time or certain special expenses. Income for these purposes is not always just the salary on a pay stub, and may include other sources or adjustments where appropriate. Our team can review your income documents, explain how the guidelines may apply, and help you understand the range of support that could be considered reasonable in your situation.

Can I change my child support if my income has changed?

It is often possible to seek a change in child support when there has been a material change in circumstances, including a significant increase or decrease in income. The specific approach can depend on whether you have a court order, a written agreement, or an arrangement that has not yet been formalized. Courts generally look at whether the change is substantial and long term rather than temporary. We help parents assess whether their situation may justify a variation, prepare the necessary financial disclosure, and decide whether to pursue negotiation, mediation, or a court process to address the change.

What can I do if the other parent is not paying child support?

Non-payment can be extremely stressful, especially when you rely on support to cover regular household and children’s expenses. In Ontario, there are mechanisms that may assist with enforcement of child support orders, and in some cases, agreements can be filed and enforced as well. The appropriate step depends on how your support was originally set up and what has happened since. We can review your order or agreement with you, discuss potential enforcement options, and help you understand which steps may be available for your situation.

Do I need a child support lawyer if we already agree on an amount?

Even when parents agree on an amount, it can still be helpful to get legal advice before finalizing anything. An agreement that feels fair in the moment may not align with the guidelines or may be difficult to sustain if circumstances change. Having a family law lawyer review your proposed terms can highlight issues you might not have considered, such as tax implications, how special expenses will be shared, and how changes in income or parenting time will be handled. Our firm works with many parents who want to maintain a cooperative relationship while making sure that their agreement is clear, balanced, and likely to hold up over time.

How long does the child support process usually take?

The time it takes to resolve child support issues varies, and depends on factors like whether there is an existing order, how cooperative the other parent is, and whether court involvement becomes necessary. Reaching an agreement through negotiation or mediation can often be quicker than going through a full court process, although each case is unique. Court timelines depend on the specific court that serves your area and on how busy that court is at a given time. In our work with parents, we explain the likely steps and timing for the options you are considering so you can plan realistically.

Will your team understand the courts that serve Richmond Hill?

Child support and other family law matters for parents living in Richmond Hill are heard in courts that apply Ontario family law and procedures. Our firm has been handling family law cases across this province since 1994, so we are familiar with how these courts generally approach child support, parenting arrangements, and related issues. While every judge and every case is different, our experience helps us explain what processes to expect and how documents and evidence are usually handled. This familiarity can make the process feel more predictable and less intimidating for parents.

What should I bring to my first meeting about child support?

Bringing key documents to your first meeting can make the discussion more productive and specific to your situation. Helpful items include recent pay stubs, your most recent income tax return and notice of assessment, any employment or income information for the other parent that you have, and details about your children’s expenses and current schedule. If there are any existing court orders, agreements, or written exchanges about support or parenting, those are important as well. If you cannot gather everything before the first meeting, we can still talk through your situation and provide a list of what to collect so that we can move forward effectively.

Talk To Our Family Law Team About Child Support

Taking the first step to speak with a professional can make child support feel more manageable. When you contact Feldstein Family Law Group P.C., you can expect clear explanations of your options under Ontario law and guidance tailored to your family’s circumstances. Our family law team serves parents living in Richmond Hill and surrounding communities through our nearby offices and through convenient ways to connect.

We draw on decades of focused family law experience to help parents work toward child support arrangements that are fair, realistic, and centered on children’s needs. Whether you are setting up support for the first time, dealing with non-payment, or considering a change due to new circumstances, we are here to help you understand your rights and responsibilities.

To speak with our experienced Richmond Hill child support lawyers, call us at (905) 581-7222 or contact us online today.