--- title: "Child & Spousal Support ✦ Goldwater Droit" meta: "og:description": "Securing appropriate financial support for your family's needs" "og:title": "Child & Spousal Support" description: "Securing appropriate financial support for your family's needs" --- #### *Our Services* ### Child & Spousal Support Lawyers in Montreal We help you secure fair, enforceable support arrangements that reflect your financial reality and protect your future. Whether negotiating initial support or modifying existing obligations, we combine precise financial analysis with strategic advocacy to achieve sustainable outcomes. ### Protect your kids. Protect your assets. Protect your future. [**Book a Consultation**](https://goldwaterdroit.com/en/our-team) ### Who We Represent ##### Parents Seeking Fair Child Support Ensuring your children's needs are met, from monthly expenses to extracurricular activities, medical costs, and education. We help establish support that reflects true costs and both parents' ability to contribute. ##### Recipients Building Financial Stability If you're struggling to cover household expenses after separation or need support to rebuild your financial independence, we fight for arrangements that recognize your contributions and current needs. ##### Payors Seeking Fairness Protecting those concerned about affordability and ensuring support obligations are based on accurate financial information. We help when circumstances change: job transitions, new family obligations, or when children become independent. ##### Enforcing or Modifying Support Orders Whether you're dealing with unpaid support, need to adjust existing arrangements due to changed circumstances, or defending against unreasonable demands, we provide swift, effective legal action. ##### Self-Employed & Business Owners Managing support calculations involving variable income, professional corporations, or complex compensation. We work with financial experts to ensure accurate income determination and fair support levels. ##### Challenging Hidden or Misrepresented Income When you suspect your ex is underreporting earnings, hiding bonuses, or using corporate structures to minimize support. We investigate financial disclosure, challenge claims of reduced income, and pursue support based on true earning capacity. ### Legal Context in Quebec Child and spousal support in Quebec are governed by both the Civil Code of Québec and Canada’s Divorce Act, depending on whether the parties are married or de facto spouses. Child support is calculated using the official “Child Support Determination Form” prescribed by Quebec regulation, which considers custody time and the respective incomes of both parents. Spousal support is assessed based on factors such as need, ability to pay, and the economic impact of the relationship, with federal Spousal Support Advisory Guidelines often used as a non-binding benchmark. Both child and spousal support can be claimed retroactively and may be varied upon a material change in circumstances. Enforcement is available through judicial remedies under the Code of Civil Procedure or administrative collection via the Direction des pensions alimentaires (DPAE). ### Our Services #### Child Support - Initial child support applications - Special child expenses - Disproportionate income adjustments - Custody-linked financial disputes - Calculation and income presentation #### Spousal Support - Spousal support claims under Civil Code or Divorce Act - Support after long-term marriages - High lifestyle claims - Compensatory spousal support - Economic hardship assessments #### Support Modification & Retroactive Claims - Modifications of support orders - Income increases or reductions - New dependents or remarriage impact - Retroactive support claims #### Enforcement & Hidden Income - Seizure of income, bank accounts, tax returns - Imputed income claims - Complex notional income and business valuations ### Our Experience $2.8M child support award One of the largest ever on record in Québec Supreme Court victory Protecting vulnerable spouses from support termination RAMQ garnishment precedent Securing unpaid support from self-employed professionals Shared custody fairness Securing fair support despite equal parenting time 40+ years of practice Establishing Quebec's leading support law precedents 1000+ support cases Spanning modifications, enforcement, and complex income calculations ### Our Approach #### First Priority: Immediate Financial Stability Support gaps hurt families today, not tomorrow. We quickly assess your immediate needs: Can you pay this month's rent? Are the children's expenses covered? We secure interim support orders when necessary, ensuring bills get paid while final arrangements are negotiated. No family should face a financial crisis waiting for court dates. #### Calculate the Real Numbers Support isn't just about tax returns. We dig deeper to establish true financial capacity: unreported income, hidden bonuses, personal expenses charged to businesses, or deliberate underemployment. Through financial disclosure motions, income analysis, and when needed, lifestyle audits and expert valuations, we ensure support reflects actual resources, not paper fiction. #### Collection & Enforcement Strategy Court orders mean nothing without payment. When support goes unpaid, we act decisively: wage garnishments, asset seizures, contempt proceedings, or reporting to credit bureaus. We know which enforcement tools work fastest in Quebec and coordinate with authorities across provinces when payors relocate. Every month matters when supporting a family. #### *Book with the right lawyer for your support matter* ### Meet the lawyers handling support disputes Connect with litigators who regularly handle child support, spousal support, disclosure fights, and enforcement proceedings across Quebec. [![Anne-France Goldwater](https://goldwaterdroit.com/_vercel/image?url=%2F_composites%2Fv1%2Fprofile%2Fanne-france-goldwater%2Fportrait@2x.webp&w=1024&q=100) [*Anne-France Goldwater*](https://goldwaterdroit.com/en/our-team/anne-france-goldwater) Founding Partner [Email](https://goldwaterdroit.com/mailto:afg@goldwaterdroit.com) [Download vCard](https://goldwaterdroit.com/_content-assets/profiles/anne-france-goldwater/attachments/me-anne-france-goldwater.vcf) [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/anne-france-goldwater-a66a8411/) [View Profile ](https://goldwaterdroit.com/en/our-team/anne-france-goldwater) [**Book Now**](https://book.goldwaterdroit.com/v2/#book/service/1) [![Charlotte Roy](https://goldwaterdroit.com/_vercel/image?url=%2F_composites%2Fv1%2Fprofile%2Fcharlotte-roy%2Fportrait@2x.webp&w=1024&q=100) [*Charlotte Roy*](https://goldwaterdroit.com/en/our-team/charlotte-roy) Associate [Email](https://goldwaterdroit.com/mailto:cr@goldwaterdroit.com) [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlotte-roy-47477a96) [View Profile ](https://goldwaterdroit.com/en/our-team/charlotte-roy) [**Book Now**](https://book.goldwaterdroit.com/v2/#book/service/40) [![Émylia Morin](https://goldwaterdroit.com/_vercel/image?url=%2F_composites%2Fv1%2Fprofile%2Femylia-morin%2Fportrait@2x.webp&w=1024&q=100) [*Émylia Morin*](https://goldwaterdroit.com/en/our-team/emylia-morin) Associate [Email](https://goldwaterdroit.com/mailto:em@goldwaterdroit.com) [View Profile ](https://goldwaterdroit.com/en/our-team/emylia-morin) [**Book Now**](https://book.goldwaterdroit.com/v2/#book/service/48) [![Ian Solloway](https://goldwaterdroit.com/_vercel/image?url=%2F_composites%2Fv1%2Fprofile%2Fian-solloway%2Fportrait@2x.webp&w=1024&q=100) [*Ian Solloway*](https://goldwaterdroit.com/en/our-team/ian-solloway) Of Counsel [Email](https://goldwaterdroit.com/mailto:ims@goldwaterdroit.com) [View Profile ](https://goldwaterdroit.com/en/our-team/ian-solloway) [**Book Now**](https://book.goldwaterdroit.com/v2/#book/service/47) [![Mathilde Sauvé](https://goldwaterdroit.com/_vercel/image?url=%2F_composites%2Fv1%2Fprofile%2Fmathilde-sauve%2Fportrait@2x.webp&w=1024&q=100) [*Mathilde Sauvé*](https://goldwaterdroit.com/en/our-team/mathilde-sauve) Associate [Email](https://goldwaterdroit.com/mailto:ms@goldwaterdroit.com) [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mathilde-sauv%C3%A9-b2991a209/) [View Profile ](https://goldwaterdroit.com/en/our-team/mathilde-sauve) [**Book Now**](https://book.goldwaterdroit.com#book/service/44) [![Natalie Shelkovsky](https://goldwaterdroit.com/_vercel/image?url=%2F_composites%2Fv1%2Fprofile%2Fnatalie-shelkovsky%2Fportrait@2x.webp&w=1024&q=100) [*Natalie Shelkovsky*](https://goldwaterdroit.com/en/our-team/natalie-shelkovsky) Associate [Email](https://goldwaterdroit.com/mailto:ns@goldwaterdroit.com) [Download vCard](https://goldwaterdroit.com/_content-assets/profiles/natalie-shelkovsky/attachments/natalie-shelkovsky.vcf) [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-shelkovsky-38ab6419b/) [View Profile ](https://goldwaterdroit.com/en/our-team/natalie-shelkovsky) [**Book Now**](https://book.goldwaterdroit.com/v2/#book/service/26) [![Rita Nehmé](https://goldwaterdroit.com/_vercel/image?url=%2F_composites%2Fv1%2Fprofile%2Frita-nehme%2Fportrait@2x.webp&w=1024&q=100) [*Rita Nehmé*](https://goldwaterdroit.com/en/our-team/rita-nehme) Associate [Email](https://goldwaterdroit.com/mailto:rn@goldwaterdroit.com) [View Profile ](https://goldwaterdroit.com/en/our-team/rita-nehme) [**Book Now**](https://book.goldwaterdroit.com/v2/#book/service/49) [![Shannen Valente-Kent](https://goldwaterdroit.com/_vercel/image?url=%2F_composites%2Fv1%2Fprofile%2Fshannen-valente-kent%2Fportrait@2x.webp&w=1024&q=100) [*Shannen Valente-Kent*](https://goldwaterdroit.com/en/our-team/shannen-valente-kent) Associate [Email](https://goldwaterdroit.com/mailto:svk@goldwaterdroit.com) [Download vCard](https://goldwaterdroit.com/_content-assets/profiles/shannen-valente-kent/attachments/shannen-valente-kent.vcf) [View Profile ](https://goldwaterdroit.com/en/our-team/shannen-valente-kent) [**Book Now**](https://book.goldwaterdroit.com/v2/#book/service/13) #### *Tell us what support issue you are facing and what financial pressure needs attention now.* ### Inquire about your case ### Areas served **We represent clients across Greater Montreal and throughout Quebec.** Our service area includes Westmount, Côte-des-Neiges, Notre-Dame-de-Grâce (NDG), Outremont, Plateau, Downtown Montreal, Laval, Longueuil, Brossard, LaSalle, Verdun, Pointe-Claire, Dorval, Kirkland, Beaconsfield, Vaudreuil, Saint-Laurent, Dollard-Des-Ormeaux, Saint-Léonard, Rosemont, and Villeray. We also appear regularly in courthouses across Quebec, including Montreal, Saint-Jérôme, Terrebonne, Valleyfield, Joliette, Granby, Saint-Hyacinthe, Sherbrooke, Drummondville, Trois-Rivières, Gatineau, and Quebec City.