Welcome to Doolan Callaghan Family Lawyers​

Child Support

Child Support can be confusing and it is often an area of concern to many separating parents. Doolan Callaghan Family Lawyers can assist you in understanding the Child Support Scheme and how your Child Support Assessment is calculated. Our lawyers can also advise you about Change of Assessment Applications with the Child Support Agency and collection issues.

The Child Support Agency is part of the Australian Government’s Department of Human Services and it is responsible for assessing and collecting child support throughout Australia. However, parents do not have to use the Child Support Agency and may prefer to reach their own agreement in relation to child support for their children.

In addition to periodic child support (regular payments made weekly, fortnightly or monthly), parents may reach an agreement in relation to other payments (non-periodic child support) such as private school fees and school expenses, medical and dental expenses and extra-curricular activities. Some parents also agree on payment of lump sum child support. Our lawyers can assist you by advising what arrangements are appropriate in your circumstances. We will take into consideration your levels of income, the care arrangements for your children and health and schooling aspects of your children, and then advise you on the best child support solution in your case. It may be it is best to use the Child Support Agency for the assessment and collection of child support, or it may be best to enter into a child support agreement.

child support

There are two main types of child support agreements – Binding Child Support Agreements and Limited Child Support Agreements. We can advise you whether either of these is suitable after assessing your circumstances. In order to be legally binding, A Binding Child Support Agreement can only be entered into if both parents are legally represented and their independent lawyers sign a certificate certifying that they have given advice to their client on the advantages and disadvantages of entering into the Agreement.

Our family lawyers can also advise and help you with applications for adult child maintenance if your children are over 18 and still need financial support. This is often the case if your child is still studying or has a disability.

We look forward to meeting you and helping you in your family law matter

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