A Huge Problem Without a Clear Answer: COVID-19 and Support Obligations (Part 1 of 2)

  • 09 juillet 2020
  • Vanessa Lam

How does the COVID-19 pandemic impact child and spousal support? Well, support is largely based on income but, of course, it depends on the circumstances. COVID-19 reminds us that no one can predict the future. The economy remains in a state of flux. The federal government’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan[i] continues to adapt its financial support programs. This uncertainty complicates support issues, particularly where trust between ex-partners is low and stress is high.

As I write this exactly three months after the WHO declared a pandemic on March 11, 2020[ii], we are at an awkward, uncertain stage where it is still difficult to distinguish between truly temporary versus more long-lasting changes.