How to Apply for a Child Support Assessment in Australia

Who can apply for a child support assessment?

Services Australia administers the Australian child support assessment system. To be eligible, you must be a legal parent or eligible non-parent carer of the child and satisfy the residence rules.

Services Australia must be satisfied that both people named as parents are legally the child's parents. Parentage can be established in several ways, including where the parents were married when the child was born, a person is named as a parent on an accepted birth certificate or adoption papers, a relevant court identifies the person as a parent, or parentage arises under the Family Law Act 1975 in circumstances including artificial conception and surrogacy.

Check the residence rules before applying

Services Australia can make a child support assessment if at least one parent lives in Australia, subject to the detailed residence requirements.

An assessment can be made where both parents are Australian residents, or where one parent is an Australian resident and the other is a resident of a reciprocating jurisdiction. Services Australia can also make an assessment where the paying parent is an Australian resident and the child is present in Australia, ordinarily resides in Australia or is an Australian citizen.

International cases require extra care because the correct application route depends on where each parent lives and whether another country is a reciprocating jurisdiction.

Can a grandparent or other non-parent carer apply?

A non-parent carer, such as a grandparent, legal guardian, foster carer or kinship carer, may be able to receive child support from one or both parents.

To apply as a non-parent carer, you must generally:

• care for the child for at least 128 nights a year;
• not be the partner of either parent;
• meet the other assessment requirements; and
• have the people from whom support is sought satisfy the relevant residence rules.

Services Australia must still be satisfied that the people named in the application are legally the child's parents. In many cases a non-parent carer must apply against both parents, although exceptions can apply, including where a parent has died, does not live in Australia or a reciprocating jurisdiction, or special circumstances prevent an application against that parent.

Be ready to establish the child's legal parentage

Parentage is an important part of an assessment. Services Australia cannot simply assume that a person named in an application is legally a parent.

Depending on the circumstances, parentage may be established through information or evidence such as:

• an Australian birth certificate or a birth certificate from a reciprocating jurisdiction naming a parent;
• adoption papers;
• a relevant court statement or order identifying parentage;
• circumstances recognised under the Family Law Act 1975 for artificial conception or surrogacy; or
• an accepted legal instrument or statutory declaration dealing with parentage.

Services Australia allows parentage to be established by phone in certain circumstances. A paper statutory declaration can also be used where appropriate, and a digital Commonwealth statutory declaration can be created through myGov and supplied to Child Support.

What information should you gather before applying?

The application needs enough information for Services Australia to decide whether an assessment can be made and to establish the relevant family circumstances. Prepare accurate information about:

• your identity and contact details;
• the other parent's identity and available contact information;
• each child's full name and date of birth;
• your relationship to the child;
• the child's parentage;
• where you, the other parent and the child live;
• the care provided by each parent or carer; and
• any existing child support case relevant to the application.

Services Australia may contact you for additional documents. Its application guidance specifically notes that supporting documents can include a Child Support statutory declaration.

Give accurate information about how the child is cared for

The amount of care each parent or non-parent carer provides is part of the child support assessment formula. Services Australia converts the care arrangements into a percentage of care.

If the parents agree about the amount of care, they can both provide that information. If there is disagreement, Services Australia may determine the care percentage and can ask for evidence. Examples of evidence include:

• a diary or calendar showing when the child is in your care;
• a court order or parenting plan and evidence about how it operates;
• school, childcare or regular activity records;
• health service records;
• airline bookings or passports showing travel dates; and
• other permitted evidence of the care arrangements.

If you have agreed parenting arrangements that need to be formalised as court orders, that is a separate process. See how to apply for consent orders after agreeing on parenting matters.

Apply online through Services Australia

Services Australia confirms that a child support assessment can be applied for online. The online route depends on whether you are new to Child Support or already have an account.

If you are new to Child Support, start the online application and confirm whether you already have a child support case or are creating a new one. Have your personal information ready.

If you are already a Child Support customer and your Child Support online account is linked to myGov, sign in through myGov to submit the relevant form and supporting documents.

You should still submit the new-customer application if you do not yet have a myGov account or Child Support online account. Services Australia states that once the application has been accepted, you can create a Child Support online account and link it to myGov.

You can apply by phone if you cannot apply online

If you cannot use the online application, call the Child Support Enquiry Line on 131 272. Services Australia's published operating hours are Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 4:45 pm.

The enquiry line can also arrange a free interpreter if you need one.

What if one parent lives outside Australia?

Do not assume the standard domestic application route applies when one parent lives overseas. Australia has child support arrangements with a number of countries known as reciprocating jurisdictions, and the correct route depends on where the applicant, other parent and child live.

If you live in Australia and the other parent lives overseas, Services Australia recommends calling the Child Support Enquiry Line to discuss your options. Depending on the circumstances, you may be able to apply for an Australian assessment or register a maintenance liability established overseas.

If you live outside Australia, Services Australia provides an International application for an Australian child support assessment (CS1665). The process then depends on your country.

If you live in a reciprocating jurisdiction

A receiving parent living in a reciprocating jurisdiction with the other parent in Australia generally needs to submit the application through the maintenance authority in the country where they live and ask that authority to forward it to Services Australia.

The international application form is CS1665. Services Australia maintains the official list of reciprocating jurisdictions because arrangements differ between countries.

If you live in a non-reciprocating jurisdiction

Services Australia may still be able to make an Australian assessment in certain circumstances. For example, its international guidance states that an applicant outside a non-reciprocating jurisdiction can apply directly where the other parent is an Australian resident and the child is in Australia on the application date, normally resides in Australia or is an Australian citizen.

Use the official international application instructions rather than the standard domestic online process when applying from overseas.

How is the child support amount calculated?

Services Australia uses a statutory child support formula. For a basic assessment, the calculation considers both parents' child support income, their combined income, each parent's income percentage, each parent's percentage of care, the corresponding cost percentage and the costs of the children.

The children's costs depend on factors including the parents' combined child support income, the number of children and their ages. The formula can differ where there are multiple child support cases or other relevant circumstances.

Income information is therefore important. Services Australia generally uses income information from the relevant financial year and may use ATO information when calculating an assessment. Keeping your Australian tax affairs current can help ensure the assessment uses appropriate income information. If you need to lodge an individual return, see how to lodge an Australian individual tax return online with myTax.

What happens after the application is submitted?

Services Australia assesses the application and decides whether it can be accepted. Its current application guidance does not publish a standard number of days for this decision.

Services Australia will write to you and the other parent with its decision. If an assessment is made, it sends a child support assessment notice stating:

• how much child support you will receive or pay; and
• when payments will start.

Read the assessment notice carefully and check that the information used is correct.

Report changes in care arrangements straight away

Care arrangements can change the amount of child support payable. Services Australia says you should report changes in care straight away.

If you do not tell Services Australia within 28 days, your new level of care may only take effect from the date you report it. You may also end up with a debt or overpayment, or the assessment may be suspended or ended depending on the circumstances.

If you think the child support decision is wrong

Both parents have rights to object to certain Child Support decisions. The available review process depends on the decision you disagree with, so use the objection process that applies to that decision rather than simply withholding payments or ignoring the assessment.

An objection to the original decision is different from asking for an existing assessment to be changed because special circumstances apply. If you already have an assessment and believe the ordinary formula produces an unfair result because of recognised special circumstances, see how to apply to change a child support assessment in special circumstances.

Get support if applying could put you or your family at risk

If seeking child support may create a safety risk for you or your family, Services Australia advises that you can contact the Centrelink families line and ask for a social worker, or visit a service centre and ask to speak with a social worker.

You do not need to manage a family or domestic violence risk as an ordinary administrative issue. Tell Services Australia about safety concerns when seeking assistance so the available support options can be considered.

Common application mistakes to avoid

• Assuming parentage is automatically accepted: Services Australia must be satisfied about legal parentage and may need supporting evidence.
• Using the domestic route for an international case: overseas cases can require an international form or an application through another country's maintenance authority.
• Giving an inaccurate care pattern: care percentage directly affects the assessment formula.
• Ignoring requests for supporting documents: provide requested evidence using the method Services Australia gives you.
• Not checking the assessment notice: review the amount, start date and underlying details after a decision is made.
• Waiting to report a care change: delayed reporting can affect the effective date and may create a debt or overpayment.
• Confusing a new assessment with a change of assessment: applying for the first assessment is different from asking Services Australia to change an existing assessment because of special circumstances.