For Nova Scotia family law clients

What to gather for your child support file

Your lawyer needs these documents to work out support and prepare your financial statements. Send what you have as soon as you can, even if something is missing; your lawyer will tell you what else is needed.

Prepared for From

Include the sections that apply Changing an existing order or agreement Special or extraordinary expenses Self-employment, business or corporate income

Your income

Special or extraordinary expenses

A receipt or invoice for each special expenseChild care, before- and after-school care, health or dental costs not covered by insurance, activities, school costs, post-secondary costs.
Your child-care provider's annual statementThe yearly total issued for tax purposes.
Proof of any amount you got backInsurance reimbursements, subsidies, bursaries or scholarships that reduce the cost.
Anything showing why the expense is neededFor example a referral or a letter from a school or health professional.
Messages showing when you told or asked the other parent about each expenseEmails, texts or co-parenting app messages. Send them whole; do not edit them.

Your current order or agreement

A signed copy of the current order or agreement, and anything that changed itEvery page, including schedules.
A record of support paid or receivedYour Maintenance Enforcement Program payment history, or bank records.
Any letters, emails or messages asking for a change, and when they were sentThe date someone first asked for a change can matter.

If asked

Your monthly household budgetOnly if your lawyer asks for it. Rent or mortgage, utilities, food, transportation and so on.

Tips

Send whole documents, every page, even pages that look blank.
Photos are fine if every corner is in the shot and the text is sharp.
Do not mark up, crop or edit anything. Keep your originals.
Name files simply, for example "2025 notice of assessment".
If you are not sure whether something matters, send it and ask.