The legal starting point
Under Part 7 of BC's Family Law Act, parents and guardians generally have a duty to support a child, subject to the statutory exceptions. If the court makes a child-support order, the amount is determined under the relevant child support guidelines.
How the issue gets before Supreme Court
A claimant can include child support in a Notice of Family Claim. If the family case is already underway and temporary support is needed before trial, the party may use the application process under Rule 10-6. Since October 1, 2026, that ordinary application process follows the new serve-then-file sequence explained in our Rule 10-6 guide.
Form F8 and income material
Rule 5-1 requires parties who must provide income information under the child support guidelines to file and serve the relevant portions of Form F8 and the required income documents. Extra portions of F8 may be required when special or extraordinary expenses, undue hardship, a stepparent claim or other guideline issues are involved.
Section 7 expenses
Special or extraordinary expenses are separate from the basic table amount. A party making that claim must provide the disclosure required by Rule 5-1 and should separate the underlying expense evidence from the proportional-sharing calculation.
Shared parenting and income disputes
Where parenting time, income determination, self-employment, business income or other guideline issues are disputed, the final amount can be more complicated than a table lookup. The Federal Child Support Guidelines contain rules about income information, special expenses, shared parenting and other adjustments.
Cost planning
Support litigation becomes expensive when the numbers are disputed because disclosure review can exceed the time spent on the hearing itself. Organizing tax returns, notices of assessment, pay information, business records and expense proof before legal review can reduce professional time without replacing legal advice on disputed income or entitlement.