Child Support Officer

Post-Hire Training 

To be trained as a child support officer (CSO) you must first be successful in getting a position with the Family Justice Services Division, Ministry of Attorney General and then you will be enrolled in the training program for the first 6-months of your employment. 

Child Support Officer 

The child support officer (CSO) is a government trained family dispute resolution professional that assists people going through separation and divorce with child and spousal support (financial) issues. CSOs provides a range of services to assist people to understand their financial obligations once separated and to facilitate resolving their child and spousal support matters.  CSOs can formalize agreements around support arrangements in both the Provincial and Supreme Court.

Career Overview

Child support officers are trained to provide:

• information about and calculations of child support, including special and extraordinary expenses, under the Federal Child Support Guidelines
• information about and calculations of spousal support ranges under the Spousal Support Advisory Guidelines
• information and assistance about formalizing and changing support related agreements and court orders
• facilitated negotiation services
• referrals to community-based resources

Career Prospects

CSOs serve families across B.C. at Family Justice Centres and Justice Access Centres, offering free services to parents. The annual salary for this role ranges from approximately $64,124 to $72,674. Explore child support officer job opportunities on the BC government job postings website.
Additional details about family justice services in B.C. can be found on the Family Justice website.

Personal Qualifications

Skills:

• income analysis and working with financial documents, such as tax information
• attention to detail, accuracy, and strong ethics
• active listening, empathy, and effective written and verbal communication

Abilities:

• work with numbers and conduct income calculations
• remain impartial, manage conflicts, and maintain a non-judgmental approach
• handle sensitive, confidential information and work with diverse populations

Minimum Requirements

• A recognized undergraduate degree with at least one year of related experience* in a human services field (e.g., Indigenous organizations, counselling, dispute resolution, legal services).
• Alternatives include a two-year diploma in a related field, such as social sciences, with three years of relevant experience, or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.

*Experience can be gained in professional, community, or volunteer settings.

Preferred Qualifications

Preference may be given to applicants with conflict resolution courses, such as:

• CRES 1100 Foundations of Collaborative Conflict Resolution
• CRES 1170 Negotiation Fundamentals: Collaborative Problem Solving

Although family justice courses are not mandatory, taking some before the interview may be advantageous. Relevant courses include:

• FAMJ-1000 Family Justice Services in B.C.
• FAMJ-1002 Family Violence: Impact on Separation and Divorce
• FAMJ-1005 Effects of Separation and Divorce on Adults
• FAMJ-1006 Effects of Separation and Divorce on Children
• FAMJ-1009 Child Support Guidelines
• FAMJ-1018 Diversity, Family Dispute Resolution, and Access to Justice
• FAMJ-1019 Substance Use in Family Justice
• FAMJ-1026 Mental Health Considerations in Family Justice

To learn more about these courses, click here.