The child support formula surprises almost everyone who encounters it for the first time. Not because it is complicated in principle, but because it is nothing like what most people expect.
People assume child support is a fixed percentage of one parent’s income. Something like “15 per cent of whatever the paying parent earns. ” That assumption is understandable, and it is wrong. The formula looks at both parents’ incomes, how much time each parent spends with the children, the number of children, and their ages. Change any one of those variables and the assessed amount changes too.
The age piece is where most people get blindsided. The formula treats children under 13 and children 13 or older as different cost groups. The older group is assumed to cost more, so the formula produces a higher figure once a child crosses that threshold. For families with one child, the jump can be noticeable. For families with children of mixed ages, the picture is more complicated and often counterintuitive.
So if you’re trying to work out what you’ll be paying or receiving, whether a recent assessment makes sense, or whether your child’s 13th birthday is about to change your financial arrangements, this article is for you. By the end of it, you’ll understand how the formula works, what drives the numbers, and what to do if your current assessment no longer matches your real circumstances.
Key Takeaways
- Child support is not a fixed percentage of one parent’s income. It is calculated using both parents’ incomes, the care each parent provides, the number of children, and each child’s age.
- The cost of children table is the engine of the formula. It uses two main age bands, 0 to 12 and 13 and over, with the older band carrying a higher cost figure.
- Child support usually increases when a child turns 13, but how much it increases depends on how many children are in the assessment and whether they are all moving into the higher age band together.
- Assessments do not update automatically. If your child turns 13 and the formula should now produce a different figure, you may need to request a reassessment through Services Australia.
- Private agreements can work alongside or instead of the formula, but they should be revisited as children age and circumstances change.
- If something about your assessment doesn’t feel right, there are formal processes to change it, including administrative and court-based options.
How is child support calculated in Australia?
Child support in Australia is assessed by Services Australia using an eight-step statutory formula. It is not a matter of discretion or negotiation in the first instance. The formula takes several variables and produces a number.
Those variables are: each parent’s adjusted taxable income, the number of children in the assessment, each child’s age, and the percentage of nights each parent provides care. The formula then works through a series of steps to arrive at a final assessed amount.
The formula is designed to reflect what it actually costs to raise a child, and to split those costs between parents in proportion to both their incomes and their care. That is the principle. In practice, many parents find the result surprising, either higher or lower than they expected.
Here is the part that catches most people out. The formula does not ask “who has the children more? ” and simply make that parent the receiver. A parent who provides the majority of care may still owe child support if their income is significantly higher than the other parent’s. The formula balances care and income simultaneously, and neither factor overrides the other on its own.
Key Point: Child support is not a penalty on the paying parent or a reward for the receiving parent. It is a formula-based estimate of the cost of raising your children, shared between two households according to income and care.
The eight steps used to calculate child support
Understanding the steps helps you read your assessment rather than just accept it. Here is what Services Australia works through.
Step 1: Calculate each parent’s adjusted taxable income. This starts with taxable income and adds back certain deductions, including reportable fringe benefits and reportable employer super contributions.
Step 2: Apply the self-support amount. Services Australia subtracts a fixed self-support amount from each parent’s income. This represents what each parent needs to support themselves. The figure is set by Services Australia and adjusted periodically.
Step 3: Apply income shares. Each parent’s remaining income is expressed as a percentage of the combined remaining income. This is each parent’s “income share. “
Step 4: Calculate the cost of the children using the cost of children table. This is the central figure in the formula. The table gives a dollar amount representing what it is estimated to cost to raise the children in the assessment. That figure depends on the combined parental income, the number of children, and their ages.
Step 5: Determine each parent’s percentage of care. The number of nights each parent has the children is expressed as a percentage of the year.
Step 6: Apply the care cost offset. Each parent is credited with a portion of the cost of children figure, based on the care they provide. The more nights you have the children, the more you are credited with meeting their costs directly.
Step 7: Calculate each parent’s child support transfer amount. This is the difference between what each parent is responsible for based on income share, and what they are credited with based on care. The parent who owes more than they provide pays the difference.
Step 8: Determine who pays. The parent with the higher transfer amount pays the other.
The result is a weekly, fortnightly or monthly figure. Services Australia can then collect this through their collection service, or the parents can arrange it privately.
Expert Tip: Before you accept your assessment as fixed, check each input. Your income, your care nights, your children’s ages. A single error in any one of these figures changes the result. If something looks wrong, request a review.
What income is used for child support?
The starting point is adjusted taxable income. This includes your taxable income as reported to the Australian Taxation Office, plus any reportable fringe benefits and reportable employer super contributions above the compulsory rate.
Services Australia typically uses the previous financial year’s income. If your income this year is materially different from last year, that gap matters.
If your income drops, you can ask Services Australia to estimate your current year income instead. If it rises, the assessment will generally catch up when the new tax return is lodged.
The income floor also matters. If a parent’s income is very low or nil, Services Australia applies a minimum income figure. This prevents a parent from simply earning nothing in order to avoid child support obligations.
Key Point: Child support does not just look at what you earn on paper. It looks at what you are capable of earning. If Services Australia or a court considers that a parent is deliberately earning less than they could, the assessment can be based on a higher notional income.
What is the cost of children table and why does it matter so much?
The cost of children table is the figure that represents what it costs to raise your children. Everything else in the formula flows from it.
The table is set by the Department of Social Services and is based on research into household expenditure on children at different income levels and ages. It is not based on your actual spending. It is a standardised estimate.
The table produces different figures depending on three things: the combined income of both parents after the self-support amount is deducted, the number of children in the assessment, and the age of those children.
Age is split into two main bands. Children aged 0 to 12 sit in the lower cost band. Children aged 13 and over sit in the higher band. The higher band exists because older children cost more in practice: secondary school fees, transport, clothing, food, activities, devices. The table reflects that reality with a higher dollar figure.
This is why the question “does child support increase when a child turns 13? ” has a real answer. When a child moves from the 0 to 12 band into the 13 and over band, the cost of children figure in the formula usually increases. That increase flows through to the final assessed amount.
How much it increases depends on the total number of children and what age bands they are already in.
Expert Tip: If your youngest child is approaching 13, use the Services Australia child support estimator before the birthday and after, using the same income and care figures. The difference between the two results is your likely reassessment change. Do this a month or two out so you are not caught off guard.
Does child support increase when a child turns 13?
Usually, yes. But the size of the increase depends on your specific circumstances, and in some cases the change is smaller than parents expect.
If you have one child, the move from the 0 to 12 band to the 13 and over band tends to produce a visible increase. The entire cost figure in the formula shifts upward. The assessed amount will generally be higher from the point of reassessment.
If you have two children and one turns 13, the formula applies a blended calculation. One child sits in the lower band, one sits in the higher band. The combined cost figure increases, but not as much as it would if both children were moving into the higher band simultaneously.
If you have three children and the middle child turns 13, the result can be surprisingly modest. You already have one child in the 13 and over band (the oldest), one now entering it (the middle child), and one still in the lower band. The formula already reflects some of the higher cost. The middle child’s 13th birthday may produce very little visible movement in the assessed amount.
If both parents’ incomes have also changed since the last assessment, the income effect may offset or amplify the age effect. A parent whose income has dropped since the last assessment might see the child turning 13 produce little or no increase in assessed child support, because the income change is pulling the figure down while the age change is pushing it up.
The short answer is: child support almost always increases when a child turns 13 in principle, but whether you notice that increase in practice depends on the full picture.
Key Point: The 13th birthday is a trigger to check your assessment, not a guarantee of a specific dollar increase. Run the numbers specific to your situation rather than assuming a universal jump.
How does shared care affect child support?
Care percentage is the second major driver of child support, after income. The more nights a child spends with you, the higher your care credit, and the lower your likely child support obligation.
Services Australia uses the actual number of nights per year to calculate care percentage. The year has 365 nights. If your child spends 183 nights with one parent, that parent provides approximately 50 per cent care.
Care is grouped into bands for the purpose of the formula. Below 14 per cent, a parent receives no cost credit and the formula treats them as having no direct care. Between 14 per cent and 34 per cent, a basic care credit applies. From 35 per cent up through to shared care arrangements of 50 per cent or close to it, the care credit increases and can significantly reduce what is assessed as payable.
At or near equal shared care, the formula becomes highly sensitive to income. Two parents with similar incomes and roughly equal care may find the assessed amount is very small or nil in either direction, because each is credited with meeting costs through direct care.
Parents who are negotiating parenting arrangements should understand that care percentage and child support are directly connected. A change in nights can change the assessment, sometimes substantially.
Expert Tip: If your parenting arrangements have shifted over the past year but the paperwork hasn’t caught up, your assessment may be based on care nights that no longer reflect reality. You can apply to have care nights updated, and the change applies from the date you notify Services Australia, not the date your arrangements actually changed.
How many nights of care count in a child support assessment?
Services Australia counts the actual nights a child sleeps at each parent’s home across a 12-month period. It looks at either a pattern based on your parenting order or agreement, or the actual nights in the past 12 months.
If your arrangements vary week to week, Services Australia can use an annualised estimate based on your regular pattern.
What counts as a night of care is more specific than it sounds. The child must actually sleep at the parent’s home. A long day visit does not count as a care night. A night counts from when the child goes to sleep at that home to when they leave the next day.
If parents disagree about the number of nights, Services Australia has a process for resolving it. If you believe the care nights in your assessment are wrong, raise it promptly. The assessment runs from the date of the change, not retrospectively.
Key Point: Document your care nights as you go, especially if your arrangements are informal or vary. A text message trail or a shared calendar can resolve a dispute quickly. Waiting until an assessment review to reconstruct 12 months of nights is stressful and often inconclusive.
Who pays child support and who receives it?
The formula produces a transfer amount for each parent. The parent with the higher transfer amount is the one assessed to pay. The parent with the lower transfer amount receives.
It is not automatically the parent with less care who pays. As noted above, a high-income parent with significant care may still owe child support to a lower-income parent with more care.
It is also not automatically the parent who earns more who pays. The interaction between income and care is what determines the direction of payment. In some high-earning, near-equal-care situations, neither parent owes the other anything meaningful.
If you are unsure whether you will be paying or receiving, the Services Australia child support estimator is a reasonable starting point. Enter both incomes, both care percentages, and the children’s ages, and it will give you an approximate figure.
Key Point: The formula treats both parents symmetrically. Neither parent is assumed to be the payer from the start. The output depends entirely on the inputs.
Does child support cover school fees, medical costs and extracurricular activities?
The assessed child support amount is intended to cover the ordinary costs of raising a child: food, clothing, shelter, transport, standard schooling and everyday activities. It is not ring-fenced to specific expenses.
School fees, private school tuition, significant medical costs, orthodontics, or elite sporting programs are generally not included in the standard formula assessment. These are treated as “special expenses” and sit outside the standard calculation.
If one parent wants the other to contribute to these costs, they can either negotiate an agreement to share them, or apply to Services Australia or a court for what is called an additional amount to cover special expenses.
Parents who have their children enrolled in private schools, or who are managing ongoing medical costs for a child with a health condition, should factor this in when thinking about what the formula does and does not cover. The formula is a floor, not a ceiling.
Expert Tip: If you have agreed verbally to share private school fees or medical costs on top of the assessed amount, put it in writing. A Limited Child Support Agreement or a Binding Child Support Agreement records what you have agreed. Without documentation, enforcing that arrangement later is very difficult.
What happens if one parent is self-employed, unemployed or earning less than they could?
Self-employed parents require careful attention in a child support assessment. The adjusted taxable income figure drawn from a tax return may not reflect actual financial capacity if business income is being structured to minimise personal income on paper.
Services Australia and courts can look behind the taxable income figure. If a parent is a director of a company and choosing to leave income in the company rather than draw it, or is paying personal expenses through a business, that can be considered.
If a parent is unemployed or earning very little, the minimum income floor applies. This is a base figure set by Services Australia below which the assessment generally will not fall, regardless of actual income. For most parents, this produces a minimum assessed amount even when income is nil.
If a parent has chosen to earn less than they are capable of earning, for example by reducing hours, moving to part-time work, or leaving employment without good reason, an application can be made to have the assessment based on their notional income rather than their actual income. This is a departure application, and it requires supporting information.
Key Point: The formula is based on financial capacity, not just what a parent chooses to declare. If you believe the other parent’s income figures are misleading, there are formal mechanisms to challenge them.
Can child support be reduced if a parent has other children or dependants?
Yes. The formula allows for what is called a relevant dependent child allowance. If a parent has other children who are not part of the current child support assessment but who they are financially responsible for, their income is adjusted before the formula is applied.
This recognises that a parent supporting multiple children across more than one family has a divided financial obligation. The allowance reduces the adjusted income figure, which in turn reduces the assessed amount payable to the first family.
The effect is not a dollar-for-dollar reduction. It is a proportional adjustment to the income figure. The assessment will still reflect a contribution to the original children, but at a reduced level.
If you have a new family and your financial circumstances have changed as a result, this is worth raising with Services Australia when your assessment is set or reviewed.
Expert Tip: If you have children from a previous relationship and a current relationship, and you are not sure how the formula is treating your total dependant load, request a copy of your full assessment and check how the self-support and dependant adjustments have been applied. Errors here are not uncommon.
What if the child support assessment does not reflect our real circumstances?
The formula is a starting point, not the end of the conversation. If the assessed amount is significantly at odds with the real circumstances of either parent, there are options.
Services Australia has an administrative change of assessment process. Either parent can apply if they believe the formula produces an unjust result because of specific circumstances. There are ten grounds for a change of assessment, and they cover situations like high costs for a special needs child, a significant income change not yet reflected in the assessment, or one parent living overseas with different costs.
If the administrative process does not resolve it, either parent can apply to the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia for a departure order. This is a more formal and more expensive process, but it gives a court the power to set a different amount based on all the relevant circumstances.
Neither process is designed for minor complaints about the formula result. They are for situations where the gap between the formula and reality is material and demonstrable.
Key Point: The formula handles most families reasonably well. Where it breaks down is in cases of complex income structures, high costs related to a child’s special needs, or parenting arrangements that don’t fit the standard patterns. If that is your situation, get advice before accepting the formula result as final.
How can I estimate child support before applying?
The Services Australia child support estimator is publicly available and free to use. You will need both parents’ adjusted taxable incomes, the number and ages of the children, and the estimated care nights for each parent.
The estimator is a reasonable guide but is not a definitive result. The actual assessment may differ slightly depending on how Services Australia applies the self-support amount, any relevant dependent child adjustments, and the exact care nights recorded.
When clients come to us having already used the estimator, they are often in the right ballpark for straightforward situations. Where they tend to go wrong is in estimating the other parent’s income, or in using a care percentage that doesn’t reflect the formal arrangement. An estimate is only as accurate as the numbers you put into it.
Expert Tip: Run the estimator twice: once with your understanding of the other parent’s income, and once with a higher and a lower figure. The range that produces tells you how sensitive your likely assessment is to their income. If you don’t know what the other parent earns, the formal assessment process will ask for that information.
What information do I need to apply for a child support assessment?
To apply for a child support assessment through Services Australia, you will need:
- Your tax file number
- The other parent’s full name, date of birth and, if possible, their address and tax file number
- Your most recent tax return income figures, or a current year income estimate if your income has changed
- Details of the care arrangement, including the number of nights per year each parent has the children
- Information about any other children you are legally responsible for
Services Australia will contact the other parent once you apply. Both parents are asked to provide income information. Services Australia uses that information to complete the assessment.
The process does not require court involvement. It is an administrative process managed entirely through Services Australia.
Key Point: You do not need the other parent’s cooperation to start an assessment. Services Australia will contact them directly. If the other parent refuses to engage, Services Australia can apply a default income figure and proceed.
When can child support start after separation?
A child support assessment can be applied for from the date of separation. Services Australia can only backdate an assessment to the date of application, not to the date of separation. This means delaying an application leaves a gap that cannot be recovered.
If you have been separated for some time and have not applied, start the process now. Any amount owed before your application date is generally not recoverable through the formal system, though parents can sometimes agree on a private arrangement for the gap period.
Child support continues until the child turns 18, or in some cases finishes secondary school, whichever is later, up to a maximum of 18. After 18, ongoing financial support is a matter of agreement or, in limited circumstances, an adult child maintenance order.
Expert Tip: If you separated recently and have not applied for a child support assessment, the application date becomes your starting point for the formal obligation. Do not delay if you believe child support is owed to you.
How long does a child support assessment take?
Once both parents have provided their income information, Services Australia can complete an assessment relatively quickly, often within a few weeks. The timeline is longer if one parent is hard to locate, fails to provide income details, or disputes the care arrangement.
If Services Australia cannot obtain the other parent’s income information, they can use a default income figure and complete the assessment without it. The assessment can then be revised once income information is provided.
For straightforward cases with both parents cooperative, the process is measured in weeks, not months.
Key Point: The assessment timeline is largely within your control. Provide your income details promptly and accurately when Services Australia contacts you, and the process moves quickly.
What happens if child support is not paid?
If Services Australia is managing the collection of child support and the paying parent does not pay, Services Australia has enforcement powers. These include garnishing wages directly from an employer, intercepting tax refunds, placing a departure prohibition order that stops the paying parent from leaving Australia, and referring the matter for legal action.
If child support is being paid privately (outside Services Australia collection) and payments stop, the receiving parent can apply to have collection transferred to Services Australia at any time.
Unpaid child support accumulates as a debt. It does not disappear. Services Australia can pursue the debt for years after it first arose.
If a parent genuinely cannot pay because of financial hardship, there is a process to apply for a lower assessment or to request a payment arrangement. Ignoring the obligation is not an option with a predictable outcome.
Expert Tip: If you are having trouble paying assessed child support, contact Services Australia before payments fall into arrears, not after. An unpaid debt grows, and enforcement action is harder to undo than it is to prevent.
Can parents agree on child support without using the formula?
Yes. There are two formal types of private child support agreement in Australia.
A Limited Child Support Agreement can be entered into when the agreed amount is at least equal to the assessed amount under the formula. Both parents sign, and the agreement is registered with Services Australia. Either parent can end the agreement after three years.
A Binding Child Support Agreement can be entered into for any amount, including below the formula amount. Both parents must receive independent legal advice before signing. A binding agreement is harder to set aside and cannot be ended simply because circumstances change.
Private agreements work well where both parents have a clear understanding of the costs involved and a willingness to cooperate. They work less well where one parent is pressured into signing, or where the agreement is not reviewed as children age and circumstances change.
If you have an informal private arrangement that has never been registered, it is not enforceable through Services Australia. A handshake deal has no standing in the formal system.
Key Point: A private agreement can work, but only if it is formal and properly documented. If the other parent stops paying under a private arrangement, you need an agreement that Services Australia can enforce or that a court can act on.
How is child support different from child maintenance for children over 18?
Child support, assessed through the formula, generally ends when a child turns 18. After that age, there is no automatic obligation.
In limited circumstances, a parent can apply to the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia for what is called an adult child maintenance order. This covers situations where an adult child is still completing secondary school or is unable to support themselves due to disability or illness.
Adult child maintenance is not an extension of child support. It is a separate application with different criteria, and it is not routinely granted.
If a child is finishing Year 12 shortly after their 18th birthday, it is worth getting advice on timing. The child support obligation generally runs to the later of the 18th birthday or the end of the school year in which they turn 18, but the details matter.
Expert Tip: If your child is approaching 18 and still in school, check the end date of your current assessment with Services Australia. Do not assume it stops automatically on the birthday.
What happens to child support when a parent moves interstate or overseas?
Moving interstate does not affect child support. The formula is national. The assessment continues in the same form regardless of which state either parent lives in.
Moving overseas is more complex. If a paying parent moves to a country with which Australia has a child support reciprocal agreement, Services Australia can continue to collect. If the parent moves to a country without such an agreement, enforcement becomes significantly more difficult.
If a receiving parent moves overseas with the children, the assessment may need to be reviewed to reflect changed care arrangements.
If you are facing a situation where the other parent is planning to move overseas, get advice promptly. A departure prohibition order can prevent a parent from leaving Australia while a child support debt exists.
Key Point: International child support enforcement is patchy. If the other parent moves to a country without a reciprocal agreement, the formal enforcement mechanisms largely stop at the border. That risk is worth understanding before it becomes your reality.
How does child support affect Centrelink and Family Tax Benefit?
Child support and Family Tax Benefit Part A are connected. If you are the primary carer and you are entitled to child support but choose not to apply for it, Services Australia may reduce your Family Tax Benefit Part A entitlement.
This is called the maintenance action test. To receive the full rate of Family Tax Benefit Part A, you generally need to take reasonable action to obtain child support. That means applying for an assessment, or having a registered agreement in place.
If you receive child support and also receive Family Tax Benefit Part A, the child support amount is taken into account when your benefit is calculated. The interaction between the two is worth understanding before you decide whether to apply for child support or enter a private agreement.
Expert Tip: If you are receiving Family Tax Benefit Part A and are unsure whether your child support arrangements affect your entitlement, contact Services Australia directly. The interaction between the two systems is one area where getting it wrong costs you money in both directions.
What if I am worried about family violence or my safety?
Services Australia has safety measures in place for parents who are experiencing or have experienced family violence.
If you have safety concerns, you can apply for what is called a non-disclosure order. This prevents Services Australia from sharing your contact details, address or other identifying information with the other parent during the child support process.
You can also apply for child support through a third party or support service if direct contact with the other parent is not safe.
The existence of a domestic violence order does not automatically change child support arrangements, but it affects how Services Australia manages communication and information sharing between the parties.
If you are dealing with family violence and need to resolve child support at the same time, you can speak with the C + K Family Lawyers team in a confidential, no-obligation consultation. We work with a range of support services and can help you navigate both issues safely.
Key Point: Your safety comes before the financial process. Services Australia has measures to protect your information, and legal advice can be sought without the other parent knowing. Start there.
What child support looks like in a real separation scenario
Consider two parents on the Gold Coast. Both are working. Parent A earns $95,000 a year. Parent B earns $55,000. They have two children, aged 10 and 12. The children spend 60 per cent of nights with Parent B and 40 per cent with Parent A.
Under the formula, both parents’ incomes are reduced by the self-support amount. Parent A’s income share is higher. The cost of children figure from the table reflects two children aged 0 to 12. The care credits are applied: Parent B is credited with 60 per cent of the cost of children, Parent A with 40 per cent. Parent A owes more than the direct care credit covers, so Parent A pays the difference to Parent B.
Now the older child turns 13. The table shifts. One child is now in the 13 and over band, one is still in the 0 to 12 band. The cost of children figure increases. Parent A’s assessed amount goes up modestly. The change is real but not dramatic, because only one of the two children has crossed the threshold.
Two years later, the younger child also turns 13. Both children are now in the higher band. The cost of children figure increases again. Parent A’s assessed amount increases again.
This is the pattern most families on a standard trajectory will experience: two incremental increases rather than one sudden jump, each tied to a child’s 13th birthday.
The numbers in this example are illustrative. Your actual assessment depends on your specific incomes, care nights and the current cost of children figures. Use the Services Australia estimator for your own figures, or speak with us for a more detailed analysis.
Key Point: Child support is not a single number that stays fixed until the children turn 18. It moves with income changes, care changes and age changes. Reviewing it periodically is part of managing your financial arrangements after separation.
What should I do if the other parent hides income or gives misleading information?
This is more common than most people realise, and Services Australia and the courts have tools to address it.
If you believe the other parent has understated their income, you can apply for a change of assessment on the ground that the formula result is unjust because of the other parent’s capacity to earn. You will need to provide information supporting your position: evidence of a lifestyle inconsistent with declared income, business structures that absorb personal spending, or other indicators.
Services Australia can obtain information from the ATO directly. If a parent has declared one income to the ATO but is living at a level that doesn’t match it, that discrepancy is relevant.
In court proceedings, both parties are subject to a duty of disclosure. Financial documents, tax returns, company records and trust deeds can all be produced. A parent who provides false information in court proceedings is in contempt of court.
If you suspect the other parent is hiding income, document everything you observe. Bank statements, social media posts showing travel or significant purchases, business records you have legitimate access to, all of it can be relevant.
Expert Tip: Don’t assume you have to prove hidden income beyond doubt before raising it. You need enough information to support a departure application or trigger a formal inquiry. That is a lower threshold than proof, and a family lawyer can help you assess whether what you have is enough to proceed.
Frequently asked questions about child support in Australia
Does child support increase automatically when my child turns 13?
Not automatically. The formula would produce a higher figure once a child is in the 13 and over cost band, but your assessment is only updated when you or the other parent request a reassessment, or when Services Australia reviews it. If your child has turned 13 and your assessment has not changed, contact Services Australia.
What if my income has dropped since the last assessment?
You can apply to have Services Australia use an estimate of your current year income rather than the previous year’s tax return figure. If your income has genuinely fallen, this can reduce the assessed amount. Provide supporting documentation such as current payslips or a letter from your employer.
Can I reduce child support by spending more time with my children?
More care nights increase your care credit in the formula, which generally reduces the assessed amount. However, the reduction depends on both the increase in nights and the relative incomes of both parents. More nights do not always produce a proportional reduction in assessed child support.
What happens if neither parent earns much?
The formula has a minimum assessment. Even at very low incomes, a minimum amount is generally assessed. This is a modest figure, but it reflects the principle that both parents retain some financial responsibility regardless of income.
Can I change my child support agreement if we originally agreed on an amount but things have changed?
A Limited Child Support Agreement can be ended by either parent after three years, or earlier if a new assessment would produce a significantly different figure. A Binding Child Support Agreement is harder to set aside and generally requires a court order or mutual agreement. If circumstances have changed materially, get advice on which type of agreement you have and what your options are.
What to do next
Child support is rarely a simple number. It moves when incomes change, when care arrangements shift, and when children age into a new cost band. Understanding how the formula works puts you in a much better position to read your assessment critically and to respond when something changes.
If you’re on the Gold Coast and your child support arrangements don’t feel right, whether because the numbers seem off, your circumstances have changed, or you’re approaching your child’s 13th birthday and want to plan ahead, speak with the C + K Family Lawyers team. We offer a confidential, no-obligation initial consultation. You’ll leave knowing where you stand.
This article is general information only and is not legal advice. Family law outcomes depend on your individual circumstances. For advice about your situation, speak with a qualified family lawyer.
About the Author
Christopher (Chris) Jones is the Principal Lawyer and co-founder of CK Family Lawyers, a Queensland family law firm. Chris advises on divorce, property settlement, parenting arrangements, binding financial agreements, mediation and domestic violence matters. After working in legal environments where clients felt depersonalised and lost in jargon, he co-founded the firm with Krystina Jones on the belief that people deserve family lawyers who genuinely care, and he works directly with his clients throughout their matters.
