Although it is paid to the other parent, child maintenance is for the financial benefit of the child in question. A person may pay different amounts in child support for different children.
In Australia shared custody means that the non-residential parent pays child support to the residential parent. In the case of a 50/50 split, the higher earner usually pays child support to the lower earner to ensure the children's standard of living is the same in both locations.
The law says that both parents have a duty to support their children financially, whether they are biological (birth) or adoptive parents, same-sex or otherwise. Find out how you can get Other support for parenting arrangements, child contact and child support.
If you don't pay your child support in full and on time, we may apply penalties on the outstanding amount. You pay the penalty amount to the Australian Government, not to the receiving parent. If you pay the overdue child support, we may reduce or remove the penalty from your account.
You can calculate the maximum child support amount using the combined income of both parents, up to 2.5 times the annual equivalent of the Male Total Average Weekly Earnings, as well as the Costs of Children Table.
This means that child support payments are based on both parents' income and how much more the higher-earning parent makes, but there is no law that caps child support at any specific dollar amount.
What Does Child Support Not Cover in Australia? The child support amount in Australia is usually insufficient to fund costs such as extracurricular activities, private tuition fees, private health insurance and additional costs due to a child's special needs.
If you have a Child Support Case
If you have a child support debt we may issue a Departure Prohibition Order. It'll stop you from leaving Australia until you either: pay your debt in full. enter into an acceptable payment arrangement.
Either parent can apply to end the assessment while the agreement is suspended. This applies only when the assessment was started by a child support agreement.
Does Child Support Change if my ex-spouse remarries? No. Only the income of the parents of your children is taken into account in the assessment of your child support payments. Furthermore, a new spouse of a child support payer is not responsible for making child support payments.
Alternating weekends: A common 80/20 arrangement, the alternating-weekends schedule has the child live primarily with one parent and stay with the other parent every other weekend.
The most common arrangement is that the mother takes 66-84% custody of the child or children, while the father takes 14-34%.
In Australia, if you and the other parent cannot come to an agreement on custody, then either parent can apply to the court for a custodial order. Before making a decision, the court will need to be satisfied that such an order is in the best interests of the child.
Parents can also make a Child Support Agreement for the payment of school fees. Payment of school fees can either reduce the child support assessment or can be in addition to the periodic child support payments assessed by the Department of Human Services.
Normally child support stops when your child turns 18. If your child's in secondary study, you can apply to extend it to the end of the school year.
Child support scheme
Under Australian law, separated parents (including same sex parents) have a duty to provide a proper level of financial support for their children. The scheme provides a flexible way of ensuring that children are supported by their parents, often with the assistance of government benefits.
The custodial parent will receive support if the care % is greater than 35% and the cost percentage is greater than his or her income. You will have to pay child maintenance if the care % is less than 65% and the income percentage exceeds the cost.
Where you have a private arrangement in place, salary packaging will not generally have any impact on your child support payments. Salary packaging may impact the amount of benefit you receive from Centrelink, and other financial payments such as Child Support.
Child support does not count as taxable income. Furthermore, how much child support you receive appears to have no significant tax consequences in Australia. Child support payments received can reduce Family Tax Benefit Part A.
Generally, yes. Centrelink family assistance and child support payments are closely linked. You must apply for child support from the other parent by contacting Child Support to be eligible to receive more than the base rate of Family Tax Benefit Part A.
The Child Support Agency can use a Section 72A notice to gain access to superannuation in some limited circumstances.
If a payee dies testate, the Registrar may disburse child support collected to the executor of the estate. If a payee dies intestate, a court application for Letters of Administration can be obtained (for a person to administer the estate) and child support collected can be disbursed to the administrator of the estate.