Jyo Calgary.ctv.ca POSTED AT 5:43 PM Monday, July 31
CTV, CFCN News
A Supreme Court of Canada says a parent’s child support should change with his or her income.
In an unanimous decision, Canada’s highest court ruled against four Alberta men challenging paying retroactive support because their incomes went up after the divorce. One of the four fathers who brought this case is from Calgary. The Supreme Court has ordered Daryl Henry to pay $107,000 in retroactive child support.
Reaction has been swift.
The Men’s Educational Support Association in Calgary is weighing in.
Gus Sleiman joined the group when he was going through his own divorce and custody battle.
He agrees if a parent makes more money, more should go to support the children, but he says there should be a time limit on how far back the courts can go to collect the money.
“It’s forcing this particular father to pay a large sum of money that is probably beyond his means to comply with,” says Sleiman.
The court’s decision also means if a parent’s income goes down, so should the support payments.