Setting out your children expenses and needs from the outset is essential. We look at all aspects of your children’s needs from education, medical and extra curricular. Children require different things at different times so considering expenses across a 12 month period can be a good starting point.
We ask you to consider what future hopes you might have had for your children, did you agree to send them to private school for high school? Did you plan for orthodontic in the future? Are you hoping they will reach an elite level in their hobbies that might require financial input from you?
We are always managing client expectations and do so in the realm of child support where aspirational hopes for private schools or other future costs might not be realistic post separation. This can be a hard conversation for some clients but one that is necessary so that they can start reconsidering what the future will look like.
If agreement is reached for child support or adult child maintenance that falls outside of the child support scheme administered by Service Australia then we provide options for binding agreements and consent orders that can provide certainty for the future for you and your children.
Our team work together drawing on our collective knowledge to ensure clients achieve the best outcomes for them and their families. We traverse all aspects of family law including child support.
Our clients are provided with detailed options around future costs and expenses for children so that they can sit and consider what they want to work towards. Knowing your options provides a sense of power and control that filters into other decisions which benefits clients immensely.
We are always working with you towards resolution, we understand the end goal and keep you focused on that. Parties focusing on conflict only endure more conflict at their financial and emotional expense.
We have some amazing referral links for clients in the child support space. Whether it’s assistance with a change of assessment or planning how to meet school fees into the future we can connect you with the right people.
Child support is the payment of child rearing expenses by one parent to another parent following separation. Many families formalise their child support via the Child Support System which is managed by Services Australia. Child support is paid until a child turns 18 or completes high school which ever is the latter.
Adult child maintenance is the payment of financial support for children over 18 by a parent to the adult child to enable that child to complete tertiary education or where the adult child has a serious illness or a disability. Payments of adult child maintenance are provided for under the Family Law Act.
The assessed rate of child support is intended to cover that parent’s share of costs for the child including public school fees and other expenses. If your child is at private school then you could seek to negotiate a child support agreement for payment of the assessed rate plus payment towards private school fees or you could consider a change of assessment where you request Services Australia increase the assessed amount to factor in private school costs.
If your child support assessment is insufficient due to the higher costs of your children or the other party being self employed and reducing their income you can apply to Services Australia for a change of assessment and request that they reconsider your assessment. There are 10 reasons under which you can seek a change of assessment.
Typically, child support is payable until children turn 18 or complete high school. If a child moves overseas child support can still be payable and many countries have reciprocal arrangements with Australia to collect and pay child support for children living overseas.
Do you have questions about our legal services or how we can assist with your case? Schedule an initial consultation with our team.
Accessible Family Law are proud allies of the LGBTQIA+ community.
Accessible Family Law acknowledges and pays respect to Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia.
