Second families
Click on one of these topics for more information:
Relevant dependent children
If you have children (either natural or adopted) who live with you, an amount for
their support may be deducted from your income when calculating your child support.
These children are called relevant dependent children.
Learn how relevant dependent children
are taken into account under the formula.
The amount deducted — called the relevant dependent child amount — is
based on the cost of your children in your second or subsequent family, using the
same costs of children table used for your child support children. So, all children
are treated similarly.
The relevant dependent child amount is worked out using only the child support parent’s
income. Because parents’ incomes are treated equally under the formula, either
parent can have children from a new family recognised in this way.
Your new partner’s income is not taken into account when we work out your
child support payments.
Step-children
Where a parent has a second family that includes step-children, the responsibility
of financially supporting the step-child may rest with that parent if neither of
the child’s biological parents can pay for the costs of their child. For example,
due to illness, death or caring responsibilities.
In special circumstances, parents with child support children who also care for
a step-child can apply for a
change of assessment to have their child support payments reviewed. It doesn’t
matter whether the step-parent pays or receives child support, as long as they need
to support the step-child, who is living with them, with their income.
To have this care recognised, the parent must be able to demonstrate all of the
following:
- they have lived with the parent of the step-child for a continuous period of two
years or more
- the parents of the step-child cannot support the child because of:
- death
- ill-health that prevents them from working
- their caring responsibilities — for example, caring for a young child or
an older child with disabilities
- the step-child is aged under 18 and not married or in a de facto relationship.
For more detailed information refer to The Guide.
Adopted children
For adopted children, all the legal consequences of parenthood are generally transferred
from the birth parents to the adoptive parents, including financial responsibility.
Therefore, only adoptive parents can be liable for child support for an adopted
child. Adopted children can also be relevant dependent children for parents with
a child support assessment.
Is your child about to turn 18 and still at school?
If your child is about to turn 18 and still in secondary school, you can ask us
to continue to recognise them as your relevant dependent child until the end of
the school year. You’ll need to apply before the child’s 18th birthday.
Is your new partner’s income taken into account?
No. Your new partner’s income is not taken into account when we work out your
child support payments.