The relatively new Federal Child Support Guidelines set out specific basic amounts that should be paid by a parent according to his or her annual income, province of residence and the number of dependent children. However, a parent's employment income may be only one piece of the parent's financial information to be considered in setting the amount of child support, especially if:

* A parent is intentionally underemployed and he or she is reasonably capable of earning more income.

* A parent is self employed and deducts business expenses from his or her income.

* A parent's income is not taxable or is taxed at a lower than employment income.

The amount of child support payable will be adjusted to take into consideration a share of a child's special expenses, which may include:

* Day care expenses.

* Certain health related expenses.

* Extraordinary educational expenses, such as tutoring.

* Post-secondary education expenses.

* Extra-curricular activity expenses.

The amount of time a child spends living with each parent and substantial differences in the standard of living between the parents' homes, are also important considerations for the court. These and other issues should be discussed with an experienced family lawyer, who can tell you what information you need to know before you can decide how much child support should be paid, given your child's and your family's particular circumstances.