FAQ: How is child support calculated?
Child support payments are calculated using a formula. When calculating how much child support you will pay or receive, there are several factors that are taken into consideration including both parents’ income, how many children the parents have and their ages (using the cost of children table). We also take into account if each parent has another child support case or a second family and the amount of time the children are in your care.
The basic formula applies to parents with one child support assessment and no other dependent children. This is the formula we use for most child support assessments. A slightly different formula applies when a parent has more than one case and usually takes a few more steps to work out how much child support parents will pay or receive.
More information about the child support formula and family assistance, including detailed examples of how the basic formula is calculated using tables and worksheets (PDF 187k) are now available online.
Updated: 23 Sep 2009
Categories: Parents
Sub-categories: The formula