If you and the other party cannot agree

How to change a child support order in the Supreme Court of British Columbia

Who these guides are for and how they work

Note: Mouse over any of the terms in green type to see a definition.

Information for people with family law cases in Duncan, Nanaimo, New Westminster, Vancouver, and Victoria Supreme Courts

These do-it-yourself guides are for people who:

  • cannot agree with the other party about how much support payments should be,

AND

  • want to change a child support order that was originally made in the Supreme Court of British Columbia,

OR

  • want to respond to an application to change (vary) a child support order that was made in this court.

Note: If either party lives outside BC, you may not be able to use these guides. Please contact a lawyer for advice.

You may want to watch Family Matters in Supreme Court: Judicial Case Conferences and Chambers Hearings, a 19-minute video designed for people who have to go to court without a lawyer.

These guides include:

  • information about the law that applies to changing a child support order,
  • a step-by-step description of how to change a Supreme Court child support order,
  • instructions about which forms to use and what to do with them,
  • blank forms and sample forms with instructions for filling them out, and
  • information about what happens when you get into court and how to represent yourself if you do not have a lawyer.

First, select the correct guide from the links below. (Payors are people who pay child support to another person. Recipients are people who receive child support.) Then read the instructions. Once you are familiar with the instructions, print out or download the forms you need and fill them out.

Note: If you are applying to lower or raise support payments, you will sometimes be referred to as the applicant in your guide. If you are responding to an application to lower or raise support payments, you will sometimes be referred to as the respondent.

A participant in a given court case, contract, or other legal matter; can be an individual, a corporation, or other entity.
Money paid by one party to the other party as financial support. Support can be paid for a former spouse or for any or all children.
A document that records the decision of a judge/master and is entered at the court registry after the judge/master makes his or her decision.
The term "to vary" means "to change" and is sometimes used by lawyers, judges, and court personnel to refer to changing an order. In some of the self-help guides, the revised order is called a Variation Order.
The term used to describe the spouse who pays support or maintenance.
The term used to describe the spouse who receives child or spousal support/maintenance.
In many court proceedings, a term used for the party who initiates the action or court proceedings.
In many court proceedings, a term used for a party who responds to the application.