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Change of assessment
If either parent believes that the child support assessment is unfair because of special circumstances they can apply for a change of assessment under one of the reasons listed below.
There are a number of ways you may be able to change your child support amount-applying for a change of assessment is just one of them.
How can I change my child support payments?
Reasons for a change of assessment
A parent who wants to apply for a change of assessment must be able to show that at least one of the following 10 reasons applies to them.
Reason six only applies to the parent receiving child care payments. All the other reasons apply to both parents.
Please note: The applicant can choose more than one of the following reasons when they apply for a change of assessment.
Reasons about the children
Reason 1
It costs the applicant more than five per cent of their child support income amount to have contact with their children. More about reason 1
Reason 2
It costs the applicant extra to cover the children's special needs. More about reason 2
Reason 3
It costs the applicant extra to care for, educate or train the children in the way that they and the other parent intended. More about reason 3
Reason 4
The child support assessment does not take into account the income, earning capacity, property or financial resources of the children. More about reason 4
Reason 5
The children, the parent receiving child care payments or someone else has received, or will receive, money, goods or property from you for the benefit of the children. More about reason 5
Reason 6 (parent receiving child care payments only)
If the other parent has sole care of the children, and it costs them more than 5 per cent of their child support income amount for child care, for children younger than 12 years of age at the start of the child support period. More about reason 6
Top of pageReasons about the parents
Reason 7
The applicant has necessary expenses in supporting themselves that affect their ability to support the children. More about reason 7
Reason 8
The child support assessment does not take into account the income, earning capacity, property or financial resources of one or both parents. More about reason 8
Reasons about a duty to maintain another person or other children
Reason 9
The applicant has a legal duty to maintain another person or other children not included in the child support assessment, and it costs them:
- more than five per cent of their child support income to have contact with that other person or those children
- extra to cover the special needs of that person or those children
- extra to cover the necessary expenses of that person or those children.
Reasons about additional income for resident children
Reason 10
The applicant has earned additional income for the benefit of resident children. More about reason 10
