The Parent’s Guide to Child Support

CSA…supporting separated families.

Find the information you need



Support for you and your children

  • Your situation and choices
  • Support from CSA
  • Support services in the community
  • Support at work after separation
  • Spending time with your children
  • Support for children

Child support formula assessments

  • Formula assessments
  • Parentage
  • Working out child support – 8 steps of the formula
  • Your assessment notice
  • Income and self-support
  • Care levels and arrangements
  • Costs of children
  • Second families
  • Minimum assessments
  • Fixed assessments

Child support agreements

  • Limited agreements
  • Binding agreements
  • Lump sum payments
  • Effect on Family Tax Benefit

Payment options and information

  • Private payments
  • CSA payments
  • Direct payments
  • Your child support responsibilities
  • How we recover child support

Parents or children who live outside Australia

  • Applying for child support when one parent is overseas
  • Earning foreign income
  • Making international child support payments
  • Collecting child support from paying parents overseas
  • Varying your child support
  • Receiving child support payments if you are overseas

When things change

  • Changes you need to tell us about
  • If you decide to give your relationship another chance
  • Your child is turning 18

Our services for you

  • Our commitment to you
  • If you don’t agree with a decision or are unhappy with our service
  • Your choices for service
  • Your information and privacy

Centrelink and the Family Assistance Office

  • Family Tax Benefit
  • Changes to tell Centrelink and the Family Assistance Office about

© Commonwealth of Australia 2009

This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process, nor may any other exclusive right be exercised without prior written permission from the Commonwealth available from the Child Support Agency (CSA). Requests and inquiries concerning reproduction and rights should be addressed to:

Deputy General Manager
External Relations
Child Support Agency
GPO Box 1903
Canberra ACT 2601

Privacy

The Child Support Agency is bound by the Privacy Act 1988. This means there are strict guidelines as to when, why and how we can collect, store, access, use and disclose your personal information.

For further information go to Your information and privacy or go to our website www.csa.gov.au

More information is available on the Office of the Privacy Commissioner’s website at www.privacy.gov.au

We take protecting your privacy very seriously.

If you believe we have interfered with your privacy, call 131 272 and ask to speak to a Privacy Officer or email CSANationalComplaintsResolutionPrivacy@csa.gov.au

Disclaimer

The general information in this book is intended to be used in conjunction with CSA’s telephone service. Parents should rely on direct contact with their Customer Service Officer for information and decisions relevant to their individual circumstances.

The Australian Government accepts no responsibility or liability for any loss suffered as a result of reliance on the information contained in this book.

It is a serious offence to provide false or misleading information in relation to your child support case.

If you have a hearing or speech difficulty

Teletypewriter (TTY)
Phone 1800 631 187

National Relay Service
Phone 133 677
(then quote ‘131 272’)

Do you need interpreting help?
If you don’t speak English and need help from CSA, ring the Telephone Interpreting Service on 131 450 between 8.30am and 4.45pm (local time), Monday to Friday.

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