Child support in Australia is governed by the Child Support (Assessment) Act 1989, which provides that every parent has a primary duty to maintain their children. The child support regime is administered by Services Australia. The amount payable for child support is based upon a complex formula, taking into account the income of each parent, the ages of the children and the number of nights spent by the children with each parent. The Department provides an online child support estimator.
It is also possible to enter a child support agreement directly with the other parent. Such an approach provides much greater flexibility. The parties can enter a binding child support agreement provided that are both represented by lawyers who will need to provide advice on the advantages and disadvantages of entering the agreement and provide a certificate to that effect. The expert child support lawyers at Parke Lawyers can assist with child support agreements.
