The Saskatchewan government hopes a new program will speed up the process of recalculating child support payments.
The Saskatchewan Child Support Recalculation Service will allow parents to update child support amounts without the cost of going to court.
“The government understands that issues around child support payments can create unnecessary stress for parents,” said Justice Minister and Attorney General Don Morgan.
“This pilot will take a lot of the strain out of that process, ensuring payments are accurate for both parents.”
Federal Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould said the program will help ensure child support amounts are up-to-date.
“We are also committed to making family justice more accessible and less stressful for families experiencing a separation or divorce,” Wilson-Raybould said in a statement.
“This project will help to achieve those goals, and for that reason, we are happy to support it, and support families.”
The federal justice department is providing just under $700,000 over four years for the pilot project, which will initially be focused on the Regina area.
Under provincial regulations parents are obligated to disclose changes to their income.
The pilot program, which either parent can apply for, will require the parent paying child support to send updated financial information.
Child support amounts will then be calculated by program staff based on the most recent income information. If the information is not provided, the amount may be increased as set out in the regulations.
Saskatchewan’s Maintenance Enforcement Office said they collected and distributed 42.7 million in child support payments in 2016-17.