{"id":7506,"date":"2023-06-20T10:09:51","date_gmt":"2023-06-20T00:09:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.coulterlegal.com.au\/?p=7506"},"modified":"2024-01-11T14:06:36","modified_gmt":"2024-01-11T03:06:36","slug":"child-support-what-do-i-need-to-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.coulterlegal.com.au\/child-support-what-do-i-need-to-know\/","title":{"rendered":"Child Support: What do I need to know?"},"content":{"rendered":"
In Australia, both parents have a duty to financially support and properly maintain their children until the age of 18. Child support is the payment from one parent or carer to the other parent or carer for the benefit of the child.<\/p>\n
Following separation or divorce, parents may choose to have child support payments assessed by the Child Support Agency or enter a private agreement of their own.<\/p>\n
In Australia, child support is managed by the Commonwealth Government agency known as Services Australia (which includes what is colloquially called the Child Support Agency<\/strong>).<\/p>\n The Child Support Agency uses a unique formula to work out how much each parent should be contributing towards the costs of raising their child. To work out the amount of child support that should be paid, the Child Support Agency will look at a variety of factors including:<\/p>\n The Child Support Agency will then issue an administrative assessment<\/strong> setting out who pays the other and how much. This is called periodic child support<\/strong> and is a weekly\/fortnight\/monthly annual sum of money.<\/p>\n It is important to note that parents are only legally obliged to pay the amount assessed by the Child Support Agency and any further amount.<\/p>\n The amount of child support to be paid is therefore unique to each parent\u2019s circumstances and will typically cease when a child turns 18, or in some cases when the child finishes high school in the year they turn 18.<\/p>\n You can collect or pay child support in two different ways:<\/p>\n The Child Support Agency will collect the money from the paying parent, for example by taking payments out of their pay, and will then transfer it to the receiving parent. This is a good option for parents who find it hard to talk with each other about child support or if you need help to make sure payments are made on time and in full.<\/p>\n The parties themselves organise the transfer of the child support payable amongst themselves rather than getting the Child Support Agency to collect and distribute on their behalf. This is a good option for those who want more flexibly about how to pay, where there is an amicable co-parenting relationship and where you can rely on payments being made on time and in full. It is important to keep records of all payments made as Services Australia can collect payments if the paying parent falls behind for up to 3 months in normal circumstances.<\/p>\n To be eligible for a child support assessment you must meet residency rules and be either the legal parent or non-parent carer of the child.<\/p>\n The Child Support Agency must be satisfied that both parents in the application are the legal parents of a child, for example, if you are named on a child\u2019s birth certificate as a parent or named in adoptions papers as a parent.<\/p>\n If you care for a child and you are not their parent, you may be able to receive child support from one or both parents. This occurs in circumstances where you care for the child for at least 128 nights a year and you are not the partner of either parent of the child. The parents of the child must have agreed that you are to care for the child unless it is unreasonable for them to care for the child, for example, due to a serious risk to the child from violence or abuse.<\/p>\n The easiest way to apply for child support is online through the Services Australia website. \u00a0After you apply for a child support assessment, the Child Support Agency will assess your application and let you know the outcome including how much child support you will be entitled to\/have to pay.<\/p>\n\n
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Eligibility for a child support assessment<\/strong><\/h3>\n
How do I apply for child support with the Child Support Agency?<\/strong><\/h3>\n