- Parents and carers
About you- Your child support
- Child support agreements
- Child support and the Family Courts
- Paying child support
- When things change
- When your circumstances change
- If you decide to give your relationship another chance
- Is your child turning 18 and still at school?
- Changing your child support in special circumstances
- If your income changes or is wrong
- Making care arrangements for your children
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- Estimating child support payments
- Our services for you
- Meeting your child support responsibilities
- Support for separated families
- The Parent's Guide to Child Support
CSA's online guide to administration of the new child support scheme
Access 2,400 support services for separated families
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Support services in the community
If you or your children are having difficulties, it's worth talking to someone who can guide you through it. A range of government, community and private organisations provide support services to separated families— mums, dads, non-parent carers and children.
Click on one of these topics for more information:
- Family Relationship Advice Line
- Family Relationship Centres
- Family Relationships Online
- Counselling and support services
Family Relationship Advice Line
The Family Relationship Advice Line is a national telephone service established to help families affected by relationship or separation issues. The Line can also refer you to your nearest Family Relationship Centre.
For help and information, call 1800 050 321 8.00am to 8.00pm Monday to Friday, and
10.00am to 4.00pm Saturday (local time), except national public holidays.
Family Relationship Centres
Centres are located around Australia and can provide families with information and support for relationship and separation issues. Centres are run by professionally qualified staff who deliver confidential and impartial services, and who are able to link you up with other services if necessary.
To find a Centre near you, call 1800 050 321 or go to Family Relationships Online.
Family Relationships Online
Family Relationships Online provides all families, whether together or separated, with information about family relationship issues ranging from building better relationships to dispute resolution. It also allows families to find out about a range of services that can help them manage after separation, including agreeing on appropriate arrangements for children.
Counselling and support services
Separation is a time of many changes and it's important that you seek help if you need it, to help you cope and be there for your kids. Counselling can be as simple as having a chat and getting some practical ideas to help you move forward. Counselling can also help you to deal with the emotional impacts of separation.
There are many organisations out there to help you, and these are listed on our Community Services Directory. Government-funded services are also listed on Family Relationships Online.
Some services available are:
Lifeline - trained volunteers provide free telephone counselling 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Call 131 114
Australian Parenting and Relationships Helpline - professional counsellors provide free telephone counselling, and information about parenting, separation and other relationship issues. Call 1300 365 859
beyondblue - the national depression initiative has some practical information and self-help tools on their website.
One of the effects of separation is the money that supported one household now has to support two. Money can be tight and there are many financial counselling services out there that can help you manage your changed financial circumstances. The Australian Financial Literacy Foundation has practical, interactive budget planners and calculators on their website.
