Obtaining an Order

It is important that you understand the law and make sure that you ask for the right order. While BCFMA does not offer this service, there are a number of legal resources in BC to help you get a support order or agreement. 

You may also obtain an order through the Supreme Court or the Provincial Court. You can find out more information about which court to apply to here.

For the support to be collected by BCFMA, the support order or agreement needs to clearly set out what support is owed. Please see the tips below. Once the support order or agreement is finalized by a court, lawyers or parties, it then needs to be filed in a BC court. 

How to word the support order

The support order or agreement should clearly state:

  • One parent is to pay the other parent
  • The name of each child with the date of birth
  • The date payments are to start
  • The frequency of payments (e.g. per month)
  • The exact amount of each payment
  • The income of the parents on which the amount of the child support is based as per the Child Support Guidelines
  • What dates or events, if any, would make child or spousal support end

How to word expenses for a child

If the support order or agreement is to include special or extraordinary expenses for a child, the expense amount needs to be separate from the child support amount and should clearly state the:

  • Type of expense
  • Name of the child to whom the expense relates
  • The exact amount one parent is to pay the other parent for the expense
  • The date payments are to start
  • The frequency of payments (e.g. per month)

Example:

In addition to the child support payment under the Child Support Guidelines, (paying parent) shall pay (other parent) the sum of $(amount) per month for expenses for the child(ren) on the (day) of the month commencing (date), calculated as follows:

An example special and extraordinary expenses table showing 3 columns: Child's Name, Type of Expense, and $Amount of (Paying Parent’s) Contribution