Child support

Your financial obligation to the children of a relationship continues after you divorce or separate. The amount of support paid and the direction of payment is determined by your custody and access arrangement and income in accordance with the territorial child support guidelines.

The enforcement of child support orders is handled by the Maintenance Enforcement Program of the Northwest Territories provided that you already hold a court-issued support order or agreement. Maintenance enforcement cannot assist with the establishment of a court order or agreement. It's suggested that you obtain legal advice to obtain an order/agreement. If you are registered for enforcement, you can track your support payments online.

If you or the debtor live outside of the Northwest Territories you can apply for or enforce an existing interjurisdictional child support order provided that a reciprocal enforcement agreement exists between the non-local jurisdiction and the Northwest Territories.

Many incorrectly believe that a requirement to pay child support automatically ends when the child reaches age 19 - the age of majority in the Northwest Territories. In some cases, support continues while the child attends college, while in cases of disabled children support may continue indefinitely.

There are many factors in determining when an obligation to pay child support ends, including the province that order was made, the province in which the child currently resides, whether the order states an age at which child support ceases, and the law under which the order was granted in court.

The NWT Child Support Recalculation Service helps parents with child support orders meet their legal obligations to update the child support they pay based on their income.

Parent’s income can change and when it does, the amount of child support payable may change too. This free service can help by reviewing the amount of child support that must be paid annually and adjusting it where appropriate. Income tax information must be provided annually by the payor.

You may be eligible for the NWT Child Support Recalculation Service if:

• Both you and your ex-partner live in the NWT
• You have an order that was made in the NWT or an agreement that is enforceable under the laws of the NWT
• You have children who are minors or dependents