Spousal and Common-Law Partner Support Advisory Guidelines
When deciding the amount of spousal support that should be payable under the Divorce Act, the court will consider the Spousal Support Advisory Guidelines (SSAG). These guidelines were created in July 2008. They are different from the child support guidelines in that they are not mandatory. The Spousal Support Advisory Guidelines have not been made into law and are for advisory purposes only. However, they have become very influential for judges deciding the appropriate amounts of spousal support, and are frequently followed by the courts. They are accompanied by a mathematical formula that provides a suggested duration and a range of amounts from low to high.
The SSAG do not address the question of entitlement to spousal support, but where entitlement is established, the SSAG provide two different formulas that can be used to calculate amounts and duration, depending on whether or not there are also dependant children (the with child formula and the without child formula).
Further information about the SSAG can be found on the Justice Canada website