La médiation familiale est-elle vraiment gratuite ?

Pour un couple qui a des enfants mineurs ou majeurs à sa charge, le ministère de la Justice paie les honoraires du médiateur accrédité pour un nombre d'heures prévu au règlement : jusqu'à 5 heures de médiation dans un processus de séparation, ou 2 heures 30 s'il s'agit d'une demande de révision d'un jugement ou d'une entente. S'ajoutent 2 heures 30 d'information sur la parentalité après la rupture. Le tarif du médiateur doit être exactement de 130 $ l'heure, sinon le Ministère ne l'assume pas. Certains frais restent à votre charge, notamment les frais administratifs, les heures supplémentaires nécessaires pour arriver à une entente, et les frais liés à l'obtention d'un jugement.

La pension alimentaire s'arrête-t-elle à 18 ans ?

Non, et c'est l'erreur la plus répandue. La pension ne s'annule pas automatiquement quand l'enfant atteint 18 ans. Les parents restent obligés d'aider financièrement leur enfant majeur s'il n'est pas en mesure d'assurer sa propre subsistance, par exemple s'il étudie à temps plein ou s'il est atteint d'une maladie. L'obligation incombe aux deux parents, ou à celui qui est en mesure de le faire.

Comment le montant de la pension est-il calculé ?

Quand les deux parents résident au Québec, c'est le modèle québécois de fixation des pensions alimentaires pour enfants qui s'applique. Le montant tient compte de quatre choses : le revenu des deux parents, le nombre d'enfants, le temps de garde, et certains frais additionnels liés aux besoins des enfants s'il y a lieu. Le ministère de la Justice met à disposition un outil de calcul officiel pour estimer le montant et comparer des scénarios de garde.

La pension alimentaire est-elle imposable ?

Non. Toute pension alimentaire pour enfant est non imposable pour le parent qui la reçoit et non déductible du revenu imposable pour le parent qui la verse. Cette règle vaut pour les pensions pour enfants, ne la confondez pas avec d'autres types de pensions.

Le montant est-il révisé avec le temps ?

Oui, de deux façons. Les pensions alimentaires pour enfants sont indexées le 1er janvier de chaque année, suivant l'indice annuel des rentes du Régime de rentes du Québec. Et le ministère de la Justice rajuste chaque année les montants de sa table de fixation, principalement en fonction des modifications des régimes fiscaux provincial et fédéral. Par ailleurs, les parents doivent se tenir informés de l'état de leurs revenus respectifs lorsque l'un d'eux le demande, au plus une fois par an.

Les grands-parents peuvent-ils être tenus de payer ?

Non. Il n'existe pas d'obligation alimentaire entre les grands-parents et les petits-enfants. Les grands-parents ne sont pas soumis à cette obligation.

Et si l'un des parents ne vit pas au Québec ?

Dans le cas d'un divorce, si l'un des parents ne réside pas au Québec, ce sont les Lignes directrices fédérales sur les pensions alimentaires pour enfants qui s'appliquent, et non le modèle québécois. Les parents peuvent toutefois convenir, par entente, d'appliquer quand même le modèle québécois.

Separating with children: what is already provided

A separation involving children is rarely lived out calmly. And that is precisely when people do not know what they are already entitled to.

This article does not tell you what to decide. It sets out what is already provided for, and what the law has settled on your behalf.

The key point

A couple with dependent children is entitled to family mediation hours paid by the Ministère de la Justice. Child support, for its part, belongs to the child: it does not stop at 18, it is not taxable, and its amount follows an official calculation method rather than the balance of power between two adults.

What is paidMediation is paid for, and few people know it

When a couple has dependent children, minor or adult, the Ministère de la Justice covers the fees of an accredited family mediator for a number of hours set out in the regulation.

What is covered

Up to 5 hours of mediation as part of a separation process.

2 hours 30 of mediation where it is an application to review a judgment or an agreement, or if you have already used mediation with the same person, or already obtained a judgment of legal separation.

And on top of that, in both cases: 2 hours 30 of information on parenting after the breakup.

The mediator's rate must be exactly $130 an hour, the amount prescribed by the regulation. A mediator charging any other rate will not be paid by the Ministry, this is not a subsidy you top up, it is a fixed rate.

What is not covered. Administrative fees (opening a file, long-distance calls, photocopies), the extra hours needed to reach an agreement, and the fees and charges linked to obtaining a judgment. In other words: the hours of discussion are paid for, turning the result into a legal document is not.

The principleThe support belongs to the child

The Ministère de la Justice states the principle in a single sentence:

"A child has the right to live according to the economic reality of their parents."

So it is not a transfer between two ex-partners, nor compensation, nor a means of pressure. It is a contribution to the child's needs, and it is owed as long as the child is unable to provide for themselvesnotably because they are studying full time.

It is meant to cover everyday needs: food, housing, communication, housekeeping, personal care, clothing, furniture, transport and leisure.

The methodHow the amount is calculated

When both parents live in Quebec, the amount is set under the Quebec model for determining child support payments.

The amount takes four things into account, and only those:

the income of both parents;
the number of children;
the custody time;
certain additional expenses linked to the children's needs, where applicable.

The 40 % threshold, and the myth it defeats

Custody time changes the calculation, and there is a precise threshold. When each of the two parents takes on at least 40 % of the time, about 146 days a year, custody is considered shared. Beyond 60 % for a single parent, it is sole custody. Between 20 % and 40 % for the non-custodial parent, it is extended access.

39 % and 41 % of the time do not produce the same calculation. Anyone who does not know this is negotiating blind on the most disputed point in practice.

And no, shared custody does not mean no support. That is the most widespread mistake. Even in shared custody, the parent with the higher income generally pays support.

It is a method, not a negotiation. The Ministère de la Justice in fact provides an official calculation tool (in French) that estimates the amount and compares several scenarios, notably by the type of custody envisaged.

An exception that changes everything. In the case of a divorce, if one of the parents does not live in Quebec, the Federal Child Support Guidelines apply instead of the Quebec model. The parents may nonetheless agree to apply the Quebec model anyway.

Worth knowingFive things that surprise people

It does not stop at 18

Support is not automatically cancelled at the age of majority. The obligation continues as long as the adult child cannot provide for themselves, full-time study, illness. It falls on both parents, or on whichever one is able to meet it.

It is not taxable

All child support is non-taxable for the parent receiving it, and non-deductible for the parent paying it. A lot of people budget backwards believing the opposite.

The amount moves on its own every 1 January

Support payments are indexed to the annual pension index of the Québec Pension Plan. In parallel, the Ministry adjusts its determination table each year in line with tax changes.

You can ask for the other parent's income

Parents must keep each other informed of their respective income when one of them asks, at most once a year. That is what allows the support to track reality.

Grandparents owe nothing

There is no support obligation between grandparents and grandchildren. This belief circulates widely; it is false.

Take actionWhere to start

Use the mediation hours before going anywhere else

They are paid for, and they exist so that you decide together rather than having a court decide. Look for an accredited family mediator, the government runs a search service listing them.

Run the calculation tool before discussing it

Arriving with an official order of magnitude changes the nature of the conversation. You are then discussing a calculation, not a balance of power.

Gather the income figures from both sides

The calculation rests on them. Without both incomes there is no amount, only a rough estimate.

If the situation is not safe, this is not the right path

Mediation assumes two people able to talk. Where there is violence or fear, other remedies and other resources exist, start there, not with mediation.

If the separation comes with a safety problem, our emergency help page gathers the resources to contact first.

Frequently askedYour questions

Is family mediation really free?

For a couple with dependent children, minor or adult, the Ministère de la Justice pays the accredited mediator's fees for a number of hours set out in the regulation: up to 5 hours of mediation in a separation process, or 2 hours 30 where it is an application to review a judgment or an agreement. On top of that come 2 hours 30 of information on parenting after the breakup. The mediator's rate must be exactly $130 an hour, otherwise the Ministry does not cover it. Some costs remain yours, notably administrative fees, the extra hours needed to reach an agreement, and the costs linked to obtaining a judgment.

Does child support stop at 18?

No, and this is the most widespread mistake. Support is not automatically cancelled when the child turns 18. Parents remain obliged to help their adult child financially if they are unable to provide for themselves, for example if they are studying full time or are ill. The obligation falls on both parents, or on whichever one is able to meet it.

How is the amount of support calculated?

When both parents live in Quebec, the Quebec model for determining child support payments applies. The amount takes four things into account: the income of both parents, the number of children, the custody time, and certain additional expenses linked to the children's needs where applicable. The Ministère de la Justice provides an official calculation tool to estimate the amount and compare custody scenarios.

Is child support taxable?

No. All child support is non-taxable for the parent who receives it and non-deductible from taxable income for the parent who pays it. This rule applies to child support, do not confuse it with other kinds of support payments.

Is the amount reviewed over time?

Yes, in two ways. Child support payments are indexed on 1 January each year, following the annual pension index of the Québec Pension Plan. And the Ministère de la Justice adjusts the amounts in its determination table each year, mainly in line with changes to the provincial and federal tax systems. Separately, parents must keep each other informed of their respective income when one of them asks, at most once a year.

Can grandparents be required to pay?

No. There is no support obligation between grandparents and grandchildren. Grandparents are not subject to this obligation.

What if one of the parents does not live in Quebec?

In the case of a divorce, if one of the parents does not live in Quebec, the Federal Child Support Guidelines apply rather than the Quebec model. The parents may nonetheless agree to apply the Quebec model anyway.