Spousal Support Advisory Guidelines
Spousal Support Calculator (SSAG, Canada)
Free, accurate SSAG spousal support range estimator. Without-child and with-child INDI formulas, full duration analysis (Rule of 65, indefinite, length-of-relationship), entitlement grounds (Bracklow trilogy).
Calculate
Want to save, export, or push to a court form?
Sign up free for 30 days for the full SSAG With-Child INDI engine — line-by-line tax computation, restructuring (lump-sum, front-loading), Davis v. Crawford gross-up math, and branded court-ready PDF exports.
$29.99/mo per user after trial · No credit card required
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the Spousal Support Advisory Guidelines (SSAG)?
The SSAG (2008, revised) are an advisory tool used by Canadian courts to compute ranges of spousal support amount and duration. They are not legally binding but the Ontario Court of Appeal in Fisher v. Fisher, 2008 ONCA 11 confirmed they should be routinely consulted. The Guidelines provide two formulas — the without-child formula (no minor children of the marriage) and the with-child formula (children present, uses Individual Net Disposable Income).
How is the without-child formula calculated?
Without minor children, amount = 1.5%–2% × years of cohabitation × (payor income − recipient income), capped at 50% of the gross income gap. Duration = 0.5–1 year per year of cohabitation, indefinite at 20+ years or under the Rule of 65 (recipient age + cohabitation ≥ 65).
How is the with-child formula calculated?
With minor children of the marriage and child support payable, amount is expressed as a target share of combined Individual Net Disposable Income (INDI). The recipient's share runs from 40% (Low) to 46% (High), with Mid at 43%. Duration is the longer of length-of-relationship range or until the youngest child finishes school.
What grounds support entitlement?
SSAG presupposes entitlement on one or more of three grounds: compensatory (Moge v. Moge, 1992 CanLII 25 SCC), non-compensatory / needs-based (Bracklow v. Bracklow, 1999 CanLII 715 SCC), or contractual (Miglin v. Miglin, 2003 SCC 24). Entitlement must be established before quantum.
Can SSAG amounts be restructured?
Yes. SSAG Chapter 10 authorizes restructuring within the range — trading higher amount for shorter duration, front-loading, lump-sum capitalization. Davis v. Crawford, 2011 ONCA 294 confirms lump-sum spousal support is no longer reserved for "very unusual circumstances."