We recommend you first speak to the Child Support Assessment Office, which is part of the Governments’ Human Services Department, and request a child support assessment. This will tell you how much child support you are legally entitled to receive from your partner, or how much child support you will need to pay your partner.
If you both agree, you can vary this amount, by either increasing or decreasing it. You can do this by either:-
- a private arrangement, agreed between yourselves. For example, your ex-partner can agree to pay an extra $100 to your account each week, above and beyond his or her payment obligation under the Assessment Notice. Note, however, that your partner will not be legally bound to pay the extra amount, only the assessment amount;
- alternatively, you could enter into a binding child support agreement. This makes any changes to the assessment amount legally binding. You can find out more about child support agreements here.
You may also choose to enter into a written, informal agreement documenting your agreement on details relating to the care and well being of the children. This may include specifying swap over days and the times which children spend with each parent, schooling arrangements, contact with relatives, and other issues. An ideal way to record your understanding on these issues and help ensure both parents are operating from the same page, is to make a parenting plan. For more about parenting plan, click here.