child support requirements for step-parents

Canadaguy

Member
Looking for direction regarding child support requirements for step-parents.

A court must determine if a second marriage husband and wife are to pay step-parent child for her two daughters and his one son from their first marriages. They have a marriage contract stating they acknowledge and agree they will never stand in the place of a parent to the children for CS purposes while sharing their income and expenses while cohabitating in marriage. Her first marriage separation agreement states that the girls should never call the new parent dad.

The contract also defines both being solely responsible for the support of their own children as per the family law act. Their interactions and financial contributions are not to be construed to be in place of a parent or be a dependent to be liable for CS. The contracts expects the court to fully enforce this release no matter what agreeing to with full indemnify.

They cohabitated for 8 years, using joint bank accounts sharing family expenses. The kids called them mom/dad and are now teens. Kids have a 50/50 schedule with their other parents. He pays $700/month CS to mom, she receives $2,000/month CS from their father. They all live within 1 km of each other. Now separated, they have zero contact with their step kids for the past 9 months.

She resides at her house now (was a rental while living together) and he reside at his house. Both are mortgage free in separate titles. They both have about $500,000 each in retirement savings. They both have no debt. His employment income is $124k. She is a self employed healthcare practitioner, works 25 hours a week but only gets paid by contract when she sees clients. She earns $140 per hour and sees about 10 hours a week of clients ($136.50 x 10/hrs x 48/wks = $67k). Her business write-offs are $10k. Working 20 hours a week, her earnings would be $134k.

Do the children have the right to receive CS and what that amount would be? What magic crystal ball outcome would the court determine? Would a judge look at the receipt from dad of $2000/m be exceeding the need for step dads' $1000/m requirement? Would the court see dad paying $700 short $300 requiring step-mom to pay $300? Would the court view them as parents after separating requiring CS? Would the court take the children’s present wants/desires that they don’t view them as mom/dad and don’t want anything to do with them anymore?
 
Your post is a bit confusing. First if the biological parent is paying cs you would need to go after them for the full amount and if they are short the order should be registered with an enforcement agency to secure the funds.

If you are asking if the step parent is responsible then that is for a court to decide if the parent is in place of a parent but with a contract and the other parent paying I don’t believe it will be successful.

You should speak to a lawyer.
 
No issue with the biological parents, they are both paying accordingly. Any case law similar that determined a step parent must pay CS when the biological parent is paying?

In this situation based on the facts provided, would the court deem the step parents in place of the biological parents?

What amount would the courts calculate for the step parents owing? Mom receives $2000 from bio-father, so is the CS obligation being met if the step-fathers table amount would be $1800 per month and mom is already getting $2000?

Step-dad doesn't receive CS, he pays. So the CS obligation for step-mom is not being met. Would this mean the step-mom would pay him $600 to $1200 (based on her imputed income)?
 
I am not a lawyer and I can only infer information from canlii cases. You should be speaking to a lawyer if it comes to a point where you have to pay support or if you are planning to file a motion for support. I don't believe a case for child support from a step parent would be successful based on what you have posted. From what I can find, it seems they take a number of factors into consideration as well as the Family Law Act. Notably, Section 147 (1) of the FLA states:

Each parent has a duty to provide support for the child unless the child is a spouse or is under 19 years of age and has voluntarily withdrawn from his or her parents’ charge, except if the child withdrew because of family violence or because the child’s circumstances were, considered objectively, intolerable.

Sub-section (3) provides that a guardian who is not the child’s parent has a duty to provide support for that child, but that the guardian’s duty is secondary to that of the child’s parents.

Sub-sections (4) and (5) address a step-parent’s duty to support a child:
(4) A child's stepparent does not have a duty to provide support for the child unless

(a) the stepparent contributed to the support of the child for at least one year, and

(b) a proceeding for an order under this Part, against the stepparent, is started within one year after the date the stepparent last
contributed to the support of the child
.

(5) If a stepparent has a duty to provide support for a child under subsection (4), the stepparent's duty

(a) is secondary to that of the child's parents and guardians, and

(b) extends only as appropriate on consideration of

(i) the standard of living experienced by the child during the relationship between the stepparent and the stepparent's
spouse, and

(ii) the length of time during which the child lived with the stepparent.


I bolded the parts that are relevant. The law lays out that a step parent is only responsible if the children have not withdrawn from their care (you note they don't have a relationship with them), the step parent contributed for at least one year, the motion to get support starts within one year after the step parent last contributed support and is secondary to the obligation of the child's parents/guardians. I also think that a judge would consider the agreements between the parties that they won't have to contribute if the relationship ends.

What is important to remember is that someone can't go after a step parent for support just because the paying parent isn't paying or isn't paying enough. A former step parent isn't responsible to come up with the top up to what a parent believes they should get. Nor should they be responsible to cover costs for someone who doesn't want to support their own child or thinks they need more to support their child (your previous posts note your ex quit their job).

Again, not a lawyer, you should probably get legal advice.
 
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