Spousal Support Advisory Guidelines (SSAG) in Ontario: A Practical Guide

What Are the Spousal Support Advisory Guidelines?

The Spousal Support Advisory Guidelines (SSAG) are a detailed set of formulas and principles developed by Canadian family law professors to bring greater consistency and predictability to spousal support outcomes in Canada. While not enacted by Parliament, they have been adopted by Ontario courts as a useful framework and are routinely applied in spousal support cases.

Two Formulas: With and Without Children

Without Child Support Formula: When there are no children (or no child support being paid), the SSAG calculates a range of monthly support amounts as a percentage of the difference between the parties' gross incomes. Duration is calculated as 0.5 to 1 year of support for every year of marriage (up to the length of the marriage for marriages over 20 years).

With Child Support Formula: When child support is being paid, the SSAG uses a different formula based on the parties' net disposable incomes (after taxes and child support). Duration is more open-ended when children are involved.

The Range of Outcomes

The SSAG produces not a single number but a range — a low, mid, and high amount of monthly support, and a range of duration. Courts have discretion to award within or outside this range when the circumstances justify it. Factors that might justify a deviation include: a short marriage with disproportionate sacrifice by one spouse, or exceptional needs or high earning capacity of the receiving spouse.

Why the SSAG Matters in Practice

In settlement negotiations, both parties' lawyers will almost certainly calculate the SSAG range as a starting point. Knowing the range before entering negotiations allows you to understand what a court is likely to award and to make informed decisions about settlement versus litigation.