How to Get Child Support
You must apply for a Child Support Assessment through Services Australia to get child support in Australia.
This assessment calculates the amount of financial support the paying parent must contribute based on their income and the child’s needs.
Applications can be made online via the myGov platform, where you can provide information about both parents, your child’s care arrangements, and other relevant financial details.
Steps to Apply for Child Support
You can apply for child support by logging into your myGov account and selecting the Services Australia Child Support service.
You’ll be asked to complete an application form providing details about both parents, the child, and any shared care arrangements.
Once submitted, the assessment will be processed, and the paying parent will receive information on how much they must pay.
Key takeaway: The myGov platform simplifies the application process, making providing the necessary details for a Child Support Assessment easy.
What Information You Need for the Application
When applying for child support, you must provide specific information, such as your and the other parent’s personal details, income information, and the child’s living arrangements.
You may also need to supply evidence of any special circumstances, such as additional care or expenses related to the child’s health and education.
This information helps ensure the assessment reflects the child’s financial situation and care needs.
Key takeaway: Providing accurate and complete information during the application process ensures that the assessment reflects your child’s true financial and care needs.
How Child Support is Calculated
The amount of child support is calculated using a formula that considers both parents’ income, the percentage of care each parent provides, and the costs associated with raising the child.
Services Australia uses this formula to determine a fair contribution from the paying parent, taking into account both parents’ financial capacity and the child’s needs.
You will receive a letter detailing the assessment, including payment amounts and schedules.
Key takeaway: The Child Support Assessment formula considers both parents’ income and shared care arrangements to determine a fair payment.
Managing Payments
Once the Child Support Assessment is in place, the payments can be managed directly between parents or the Child Support Agency.
The Agency can collect and transfer payments, ensuring they are made on time and correctly.
You can also choose to arrange payments privately if both parties agree. The Agency can take enforcement actions in missed payments to ensure the support is paid.
Key takeaway: Child support payments can be managed through the Child Support Agency or arranged privately between parents, depending on the agreed preference.
Reviewing Your Child Support Assessment
Circumstances may change over time, which may affect the Child Support Assessment. If your financial situation or care arrangements change, you can request a review of the assessment.
This ensures that child support payments remain appropriate based on the latest information. Reviews can be initiated through the myGov platform or by contacting Services Australia.
Key takeaway: If your financial situation or care arrangements change, you can request a review of the child support assessment, ensuring the payment remains fair and reflects current circumstances.
Navigating Child Support in Complex Family Situations
Not every family arrangement fits neatly into a standard child support formula. If you’re in a complex situation — such as shared custody, blended families, or having children from different relationships — calculating child support can become more layered.
For example, if you have children with more than one former partner, each relationship is assessed individually, but your total income and existing obligations will factor into each new assessment. This can create overlaps or adjustments that may not be obvious at first.
Another factor is shared care. If your child lives part-time with you and part-time with the other parent, the “percentage of care” becomes a major influence on how much is paid — or received. This percentage isn’t based only on overnight stays but can also reflect who pays for school supplies, extracurricular activities, and healthcare.
If you’re navigating one of these complex situations, it’s a good idea to keep detailed records and communicate clearly with Services Australia. You may also benefit from speaking with a family lawyer or financial adviser to ensure everything is accounted for properly.
Key takeaway: When families don’t fit the traditional model, child support assessments require a tailored approach — clear care records and financial documentation are key to getting it right.
Emotional and Financial Support Beyond Payments
Child support is, at its core, about providing for your child’s wellbeing. While the financial component is calculated by a formula, your role as a parent isn’t measured in dollars. Whether you’re making or receiving payments, your engagement, communication, and cooperation are just as important for your child’s growth and emotional security.
If you’re the paying parent, sticking to the payment schedule shows dependability — not just to the system, but to your child. It also reduces conflict and keeps the co-parenting relationship more civil. If you’re the receiving parent, understanding that the paying parent may also be under financial pressure can sometimes help with collaborative decision-making.
You should also consider how child support fits into your long-term financial planning. Whether you’re adjusting your budget to include regular payments or relying on those payments to manage expenses, staying financially organised helps you avoid issues during audits, reviews, or disputes.
In some cases, the emotional toll of negotiating child support can be significant. Reaching out for professional or therapeutic support isn’t just helpful — it can make co-parenting more manageable in the long run.
Key takeaway: Child support is more than financial — respectful co-parenting, consistency, and emotional awareness benefit everyone, especially your child.
What to Expect During a Child Support Dispute
If you and the other parent disagree on payment amounts, shared care percentages, or whether special circumstances are being considered fairly, it can lead to a dispute. Disagreements can arise for many reasons — changes in income, new relationships, relocation, or misunderstandings about care arrangements.
Should you find yourself in this situation, you can request a reassessment through Services Australia. This involves providing updated information and potential evidence that supports your position. If that doesn’t resolve the issue, you may be able to escalate it to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) for review.
It’s important to stay calm, organised, and proactive. Keep records of correspondence, payment receipts, changes in care arrangements, and any agreements (even informal ones). These can be valuable if your case goes further.
Disputes are understandably stressful, but many are resolved quickly when accurate information is provided. If you’re unsure of your rights or feel overwhelmed, it’s wise to seek legal support.
Key takeaway: Child support disputes are best handled with preparation, clear records, and calm communication — and support is available if you need help resolving them.
What to Do if the Other Parent Doesn’t Pay Child Support
If the paying parent fails to meet their child support obligations, there are several steps you can take. Services Australia offers support through its Child Support Collection services.
You can request that the Agency collect payments on your behalf and ensure they are transferred to you.
If the paying parent continues to miss payments, Services Australia has enforcement powers, such as garnishing wages, seizing tax refunds, or taking legal action to recover outstanding amounts.
In addition to formal measures, it’s important to keep records of any missed or delayed payments and communicate with Services Australia as soon as possible to address any issues.
While the Agency handles most enforcement actions, maintaining clear communication about your situation helps to resolve matters quickly.
Director of Melbourne Family Lawyers, Hayder manages the practice and oversees the running of all of the files in the practice. Hayder has an astute eye for case strategy and running particularly complex matters in the family law system.
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