Child support is one of the most misunderstood parts of separation. People expect a battle; in fact, the starting point is a formula run by Services Australia, based on a small number of facts about both parents.
The assessment combines both parents' incomes, the number of children and their ages, and the percentage of nights the children spend with each parent (the 'care percentage'). Each parent gets a self-support amount set aside first; the rest is shared in proportion to income and care.
Because care percentage directly drives the amount, small changes in the parenting arrangement can change child support significantly. This is one reason parenting and child support are best looked at together, not in isolation.
The standard formula assumes fairly typical circumstances. If a child has special needs, high medical or education costs, or a parent's true income is not reflected in their tax return, you can apply for a 'change of assessment' on one of several recognised grounds.
Parents can also make their own arrangements through a binding or limited child support agreement, which can include things the formula doesn't — like school fees or health insurance paid directly. A binding agreement requires legal advice for each parent.
We do not run the Services Australia calculator for you — that's free and online. Where we add value is the harder cases: change-of-assessment applications, binding agreements, and situations where child support, parenting and property all interact. If your situation is not 'standard', it is worth a conversation.
General information only, not legal advice. For advice on your circumstances, contact HT Law Services on (02) 9280 1548.