"Can I access DivorceMate without going through a lawyer?" is one of the most common questions on Canadian family law forums. The answer is no — DivorceMate is professional software sold to law firms on a subscription basis, and it has no public-facing consumer product. Its companion tool, MySupportCalculator.ca, handles basic table lookups but does not perform the complex calculations that make DivorceMate valuable to lawyers: shared custody set-offs, combined child and spousal support with SSAG ranges, Section 7 apportionment, or NDI analysis.

This article explains what DivorceMate actually does, what free tools can and cannot do, and what features to look for when choosing a calculator as a self-represented litigant.

What DivorceMate Does

DivorceMate is the dominant family law software in Canada. It calculates child support using federal and provincial tables, spousal support using the SSAG with-child and without-child formulas, combined CS+SS scenarios across the low/mid/high range, NDI for both parties, Section 7 expense apportionment, and property division. It produces PDF reports that are accepted by courts across the country. Most family lawyers use DivorceMate or a similar professional tool for every support case.

Why SRLs Cannot Access It

DivorceMate is priced for law firm subscriptions — not individual use. There is no consumer version, free trial, or pay-per-use option. Self-represented litigants who ask their lawyer to "run the numbers" are paying for the lawyer's time plus the software's output, without understanding the inputs or being able to test alternative scenarios.

This creates an information asymmetry: the lawyer on the other side has access to precise SSAG calculations, while the SRL is working from a basic table lookup or an online estimate that does not account for the tax system, government benefits, or the interaction between child and spousal support.

What Free Tools Can Do

Several free tools exist for basic child support calculations:

Both tools are adequate for the simplest case: sole custody, straightforward employment income, no spousal support. For anything more complex, they produce incomplete results.

What to Look for in a Calculator

If your situation involves shared custody, spousal support, or non-employment income, you need a calculator that handles:

The Pricing Gap

The market for support calculators in Canada has a gap: free tools are too limited, and professional tools are too expensive. DivorceMate is priced for law firms. MySupportCalculator gives you a table lookup. There is very little in between — yet the people who need accurate, comprehensive calculations the most are self-represented litigants who cannot afford a lawyer to run the software for them.

Dvorce.ca was built to fill this gap. The first calculation is free — no credit card, no signup required. Paid tiers are priced for individuals, not law firms.