Child support is one of the most stressful, misunderstood parts of separation. This guide gives you a calm overview of how it actually works in Australia, what you can do to make it run smoothly, and what to do when it doesn't.
What is child support?
Child support is money paid by one parent to the other to help with the cost of raising children after separation. It's administered by Services Australia (Child Support).
There are three main ways child support can be set up:
- A Child Support Assessment — Services Australia calculates it.
- A private agreement — you and the other parent decide between you.
- A binding or limited Child Support Agreement — a written legal agreement.
How an assessment is calculated
Services Australia uses a formula that considers:
- Both parents' taxable income
- Each parent's care percentage
- The number and age of the children
- The cost of children as estimated by the Department
The result is an annual rate of child support, paid in monthly or fortnightly amounts.
Care percentages
Care percentages are calculated based on the number of nights a year (or daytime hours, if relevant) each parent has the children. They affect both child support and Family Tax Benefit. Common ranges:
- 0–13% care = nil care
- 14–34% care = regular care
- 35–47% care = shared care
- 48–52% care = equal shared care
- 53–65% care = primary care
- 66–86% care = above primary care
- 87–100% care = sole care
How to apply
1. Log in to myGov and link Child Support. 2. Apply for a Child Support Assessment. 3. Provide details of the other parent, the children and your care arrangements. 4. Services Australia will contact the other parent and issue an assessment.
You don't need a court order to start an assessment.
Collection options
- Self-managed — Services Australia issues the assessment, but you collect privately.
- Private collect — the same as self-managed in practice.
- Child Support Collect — Services Australia collects payments and can use enforcement options (garnishing wages, tax refund intercepts, departure prohibitions).
If payments stop coming, switching to Child Support Collect is often the most effective move.
What if the other parent isn't paying?
Options include:
- Switching to Child Support Collect
- Asking Services Australia to use collection tools (tax refund intercepts, employer deductions)
- A Change of Assessment if the other parent is hiding income
- In serious cases, legal advice — Legal Aid in your state can help
How child support affects Family Tax Benefit
If you're claiming more than the base rate of FTB Part A, you generally need to take reasonable action to apply for child support. Centrelink uses an "assessed" child support amount when working out FTB, which may differ from what you actually receive.
Common questions
Can we agree on a different amount? Yes — through a private agreement, limited agreement, or binding agreement. Get legal advice before signing a binding agreement.
What if the other parent's income changes? Either parent can ask for a reassessment. Major income changes (such as a job loss) can be backdated in some cases.
Does child support count as income? Not for tax purposes, but Centrelink does take it into account when working out FTB.
How Bloom can help
Bloom isn't a court tool or a legal record — but it is somewhere you can quietly log custody nights, child-related expenses, and the family calendar as things happen. That's far easier than trying to remember a whole year of changeovers when it's time to update Services Australia.