Changes that affect your Child Support

The Child Support Agency (CSA) is the Australian government agency that is tasked with administering the assessment and collection of child support.

Parents who are separated and do not live together in a domestic relationship will be assessed for child support that they need to pay for every child that they have. A child support assessment is expected to meet or answer the cost of raising a child.

One of the purposes of a child support assessment is to determine the share of each parent in raising their child. So actually, the cost of raising a child will be shared by both parents. In a child support assessment the following will be taken into account: the income of both parents, the cost of raising a child, the number of children being supported and their ages, number of children being supported and the levels or percentage of care that is being provided by each parent.

Generally, a parent will only be liable for child support for children under 18 years of age unless there is an application filed for continuing support because of the education of the child. The child being supported must also be unmarried and not living in a de facto relationship.

The child support formula used in the assessment is flexible because it is formulated in such a way that it will adapt when the circumstances of parties change like when the income of the parents change, the children grow older, there are new children or change in the percentage of care.

Applications for child support assessment can now be filled up and filed online. By just going to the website of the Department of Human Services a parent can easily apply for a child support assessment.

The online form may be used by new applicants; if a previously applicant wants to restart an assessment; or, if the applicant wants to add another child to an operative child support assessment. As for the collection of child support payments, the parties can enter into a private agreement providing for their payment arrangements. The parties can also utilize the CSA for collection of child support.

Child support decisions, including an assessment, may be objected to by a party. The objection must be made in written and the usual grounds are incorrect information, relevant facts or details have not been considered, or new information has become available. The written objection must specifically state the decision being objected to and attached must be the relevant documents and evidence to support the objection.