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Do step-parents pay support?

Last updated on March 6, 2024

Although parents have the primary responsibility to pay child support, other guardians and step-parents may be responsible for paying child support.

A step-parent’s duty to pay child support is secondary to that of a parent or guardian. As well, it is limited by consideration of how long the step-parent lived with the child and the standard of living the child had during the relationship between the step-parent and parent.

A step-parent may be responsible for child support if they have lived with and contributed to the support of the child for at least one year.

For more information, please see Step-parents' rights and responsibilities on Legal Aid BC's Family Law in BC website.

Check out these resources from Legal Aid BC:

Visit a Justice Access Centre:

Talk with a family justice counsellor at a Family Justice Centre.

British Columbia has a central authority that assists left-behind parents whose children have been abducted across international borders.