Can I ask for child support if the other parent lives abroad?
In the United States? This answer is Québec and Canadian law. The US side of this site answers different questions, state by state: different law, and different coverage. Go to the US side
Short answer
Yes. In Quebec, a Quebec court can order the payment of child support even if the other parent lives outside the country, as long as one of the parents lives in Quebec.
In detail
JuridiQC answers “true” to this question: it is possible to obtain child support where the other parent lives abroad, since a Quebec court can make the order if one parent lives in Quebec.
Obtaining the judgment and enforcing it are two different things, however. Enforcement abroad depends on the applicable reciprocity agreements and on the rules of the country concerned, which can lengthen the timelines considerably.
It is also worth repeating that the support obligation toward children does not depend on the couple's status: it exists whether the parents were married or not, and it survives the end of their relationship.
What to document
The other parent's known contact information abroad (address, employer, country of residence), proof of their income if you have any, and the history of your attempts to communicate. Without a reliable address, serving the proceedings becomes the main obstacle.
Put your facts in writing, free. Writing your version down early, keeping your documents dated and preparing your questions for a lawyer: the tool is there to document, never to advise.
Open the application Up to 3 files, no card · see the plans
And to put it in order: our free tools · number your exhibits, set your facts in date order, request a copy of your file. No account, and nothing leaves your browser.
Official sources
- JuridiQC · True or false about child support
- Ministère de la Justice du Québec · The support obligation toward children
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See all the answers · the full guide collection · Lire en français
What this page is not
This is general legal information about the law of Quebec and Canada, dated and sourced. It is not legal advice, not a strategy, and not a prediction about the outcome of a case. In Quebec, only lawyers and notaries may give legal advice (Act respecting the Barreau du Québec, ss. 128 and 133). Laws and amounts change: the official source always prevails over us.