Child support the basics for separated parents

Child support is the financial support a parent provides for their child after separation. In Australia it is administered by Services Australia (Child Support), not by the family courts. This guide explains, in general terms, how child support works, how an assessment is worked out, how to apply, your collection options, and how child support connects to parenting arrangements.

Child support rules, formulas and figures change regularly and depend on your individual circumstances. This guide does not include specific dollar amounts or rates on purpose. Always confirm the current figures and rules with Services Australia, and get advice if your situation is complicated.

What child support is

Child support helps cover the everyday costs of raising a child — things like food, housing, clothing, schooling and activities — when the child’s parents are separated. The idea behind the system is that both parents share the cost of their children according to their capacity, and that children should benefit from that support regardless of the relationship between their parents.

Most parents deal with child support through a child support assessment worked out by Services Australia. Some parents instead make their own written agreement (a child support agreement), but those have particular legal requirements and usually need legal advice, so this guide focuses on the standard assessment.

How an assessment is worked out (in general terms)

Services Australia uses a legislated formula to work out a child support assessment. You do not have to calculate it yourself — Services Australia does it — but it helps to understand the main building blocks. In general terms, the assessment takes into account:

• Both parents’ incomes. The formula looks at each parent’s income and works out each parent’s share of their combined income. A parent’s own costs of self-living are recognised before their income is counted as available to support the children.
• The costs of children. The formula uses published tables that estimate what it costs to raise children of a particular age, based on the parents’ combined income. This is where the “cost of the children” figure comes from — you do not add up your own receipts.
• Each parent’s percentage of care. How much care each parent provides is converted into a care percentage and then into a “cost percentage”, recognising that a parent who cares for the child directly is already meeting some of the child’s costs.

Putting it simply, the formula compares each parent’s share of income with the share of the children’s costs they already cover through care. A parent whose income share is higher than the share of costs they cover through care generally pays child support to the other parent, to balance things out. The parent with the greater financial capacity and less direct care typically pays; the parent providing more of the day-to-day care typically receives.

Because the exact figures, income tables and self-support amounts are set by law and updated over time, always check the current detail on the Services Australia pages on how we work out your child support assessment and the basic child support formula.

How care time links to the amount

The percentage of care is a central part of the assessment, and it is largely driven by the number of nights the child spends in each parent’s care over a year. Services Australia works out each parent’s share of care across the year, then converts it into a cost percentage using legislated bands.

The practical effect is that the amount of time a child spends with each parent directly affects the child support figure. As one parent’s share of nights goes up, their cost percentage generally rises and the balance of who pays what can shift. Small changes around the edges may make little difference, while a significant change in the pattern of care can change the assessment noticeably. The exact bands and thresholds are set by legislation, so confirm the current settings with Services Australia through how your percentage of care affects your child support payments.

How to apply for an assessment

To get a child support assessment you generally apply to Services Australia. In broad terms:

• You lodge an application for a child support assessment (this can usually be done online, by phone or on a form).
• You provide details about yourself, the other parent, the child, and the care arrangements.
• Services Australia works out the assessment using the formula and tells both parents the amount.

Check the current application process and eligibility on the Services Australia website, as the exact steps and channels can change.

Collection options

Once there is an assessment, there are two main ways payments can be made:

• Self-management (private collection). The parents arrange payments directly between themselves — the paying parent transfers the assessed amount to the receiving parent. Services Australia still works out the amount, but does not handle the money. This works best when communication is reasonable and payments are reliable.
• Child Support collection. You can ask Services Australia to collect the payments and transfer them to the receiving parent. This can help where private collection is not working, or where there are arrears. Services Australia has tools to help collect overdue amounts.

You can generally move between these options if your circumstances change. Confirm the current arrangements and what is available with Services Australia.

Changing an assessment

Assessments are not fixed forever. Common reasons an assessment changes include:

• Updated income. Assessments are based on income, so a change in either parent’s income can change the assessment. Keep your income details up to date with Services Australia.
• Updated care. A genuine change in the pattern of care should be notified so the care percentages can be updated (see the caution below).
• A change of assessment in special circumstances. If you believe the standard formula produces an unfair result because of special circumstances — for example, high costs of spending time with the child, a child’s special needs, or income that does not reflect a parent’s real capacity — you can apply for a change of assessment. This is a specific process with its own requirements, and it is decided on the particular facts.

Child support and parenting orders are separate but linked

This is an important point. Child support and parenting orders are run by different systems — Services Australia for child support, the court for parenting. Paying or receiving child support does not decide parenting arrangements, and parenting orders do not by themselves set the child support amount.

But the two are linked through the care percentage. Because care time feeds into the assessment, a change in the parenting arrangement can change child support. That connection can create a temptation to treat child support as leverage in a parenting dispute. Try to resist that — the child’s arrangements should be decided on the child’s best interests, not on money.

A specific caution: do not lodge a change-of-care notification with Services Australia that does not match your actual arrangement or your court orders. If your orders or your real day-to-day arrangement say one thing and you report something different to get a better assessment, that can cause problems, including the assessment being corrected and disputes about arrears. Report care honestly and in line with what is actually happening. If your orders and reality have genuinely drifted apart, get advice about updating your arrangements properly. Our guide on parenting plans, consent orders and court orders explains how arrangements are recorded and changed.

Interaction with Family Tax Benefit

Child support can affect Family Tax Benefit (FTB) Part A. Services Australia generally expects a parent who receives FTB Part A above the base rate to take reasonable steps to obtain child support, and the amount of child support you are assessed to receive can affect how much FTB Part A you get. Because child support and FTB interact, changes in one can flow through to the other. Check the current rules with Services Australia so you understand how a change in your child support might affect your family payments.

Keep good records

Whether you self-manage or Services Australia collects, keep clear records of:

• the care arrangement and the actual nights the child spends with each parent;
• payments made or received (dates and amounts); and
• any correspondence with Services Australia and the other parent.

Good records help you keep your assessment accurate, resolve disputes about payments or care, and update your assessment when things change. See our guide on keeping records for practical tips.

Where to get help

Services Australia is the first stop for child support questions, applications and collection. You can also get help from a family lawyer (especially for change-of-assessment applications or child support agreements) and from community legal centres or Legal Aid.

---

This guide is general information only and is not legal advice, and it deliberately avoids specific figures because rates and rules change. Confirm current child support amounts, formulas and processes with Services Australia, and seek advice about your own circumstances.