What does child support cover

Introduction

What does child support cover? Knowing the answer to this question is important for parents who are either the payer or payee for their child or children. This is to ensure that a parent is paying the correct amount whether it be as a private agreement between parents, or as an assessment done by Services Australia.

This article will explain what child support is, what child support covers, what it does not cover and how to seek help for any child support related issues. 

What is child support?

Child support is a payment made by a parent to the other parent of a child/children to provide ongoing financial support until the child/children reach the age of 18. The amount of child support to be paid by a parent is determined by a legislated formula by Services Australia. The payment is to be used for the care of the children and not for a parent’s personal expenses. Child support funds should be used to purchase necessities for the children such as:

Comparative cost of living

This is a broad category that intends to ensure that children have a safe and healthy living environment. These are the basic necessities that the child needs to support them, which includes:

• Housing costs;
• Food;
• School expenses;
• Utilities; and
• Clothing and footwear.

The aim of these expenses is to create an environment that is best for the children’s emotion and physical well-being.

Healthcare

Child support is intended to support a child’s basic medical expenses. Once again, this is a broad category that can include:

• Routine doctor visits;
• Prescription medication;
• Routine dental expenses; or
• Any out-of-pocket medical expenses.

Education and childcare

This category is to ensure that children receive an education to support their development and succeed academically. These expenses can include:

• Covering school fees;
• Uniforms;
• Books;
• School supplies such as writing materials and school bags; and
• Childcare costs or fees.

Ultimately, there are no set laws or regulations as to what child support can be used for. The purpose of these categories is to provide a guide to cover the associated costs involved for the basic necessities involved with raising children.

What does child support not cover in Australia?

A typical child support assessment is usually insufficient to fund significant costs that may be incurred by some children depending on their medical or developmental needs.

Child support does not cover:

• Payment of private health insurance;
• Payment of medical or dental surgeries;
• Payment of extra-curricular activities;
• Payment of private school fees:
• Payment of travel expenses;
• Personal items such as electronic devices; or;
• Any extra costs associated with a child’s special needs.

If these types of costs occur with your child/children, a discussion and agreement of how these costs are to be split will need to happen between you and the other parent. If an agreement is reached, it should be documented between the parents. A Child Support Agreement can document this and provide certainty to both parents. For more information on these types of agreements, learn more.

What now?

As a payer or payee, it is important to understand your child support arrangements. Remember, child support is intended to cover the basic necessities required for raising children and to support their developmental and emotional needs. If any other payments are required to support your child/children, any agreement reached should be documented. A family lawyer can assist you with this.

Call us today!

For legal advice on your child support arrangements, you can contact our office to arrange an obligation free phone call with one of our lawyers for a confidential discussion prior to booking a consultation.