Tag: Child Support

The Psychological Impact of Separation on Children: Offering guidance on how parents can support their children during and after a separation [caption id="attachment_17065" align="alignright" width="300"] Supporting Children Through Separation[/caption] Separation can be devastating for all individuals involved, particularly when there are children in the picture. Extensive social science research demonstrates that the effects of separation upon children can manifest in multiple ways throughout their development. A major life change, such as divorce or a de facto relationship breakdown, can foster...

The Basics of Child Support in Australia [caption id="attachment_16494" align="alignright" width="350"] Basics of child support[/caption] There are two types of child support in Queensland. Self-managed child support In this type of child support, the parents of the child(ren) manage the child support between themselves. They have the ability and freedom to decide for themselves: how much is paid; when it is paid and how the money is paid. Child support assessment If the parents of the child(ren) are unable to...

Child Support Act and Family Law Child Support Act, It is commonly recognized that both parents have a financial obligation to contribute towards the cost of raising their child. The national Child Support Agency under Services Australia is responsible for delivering the child support scheme in addition to regulating, collecting, and administering child support services. They are your first point of call for any child support queries you may have.  In Australia, the relevant child support legislation is encapsulated in...

Maintaining Child Support in Australia A Party in Australia may apply to vary an overseas maintenance order, agreement or liability registered in Australia. ‘a child support maintenance order made by a judicial authority of a reciprocating jurisdiction’ Matters to be taken into account in considering financial support necessary for the maintenance of a child. The relevant sections of the Family Law Act In considering the financial support necessary for the maintenance of a child, the court must take into account...

Priority Property Pool As a way of reducing lengthy delays, the Federal Circuit Court and Family Court of Australia developed the Priority Property Pool 500 List ( PPP500 ). This list deals with matters where the property pool is less than $500,000. The aim of the PPP500 pilot is to improve the responsiveness of the family court system and minimize risk and legal costs for vulnerable parties. At James Noble Law, we have achieved just, efficient and timely resolutions using...

Children with special needs may require a higher level of care from their parents and caregivers, depending on the nature of their disability. In circumstances where parents of children with special needs have separated, their parenting Orders should be tailored to suit the circumstances of their child’s medical, educational and therapeutic requirements.  The Family Law Act 1975 does not distinguish between the best interests of a neurotypical child and a special needs child, although these can be significantly different depending...

From 1 September 2021 the Federal Circuit Court and Family Court of Australia has implemented new Pre-Action Procedures that must be adhered to and followed prior to anyone commencing Court proceedings.  The aim of the Pre-Action Procedures are to give the matter a chance at resolving amicably before the pathway of litigation is commenced.  The new Pre-Action Procedures are set out in Schedule 1 of the Federal Circuit Court and Family Court Rules 2001 and include the following: Providing the...

Binding Child Support Agreement or Limited Child Support Agreement? When parents reach an agreement in relation to child support, there are two options available to formalise that agreement.  Those two options are: A Binding Child Support Agreement; and A Limited Child Support Agreement.  What is the Binding Child Support Agreement? A Binding Child Support Agreement is a contract between the parents which sets out the terms of the agreement they have reached in relation to the amount of child support...

[caption id="attachment_11851" align="alignright" width="300"] Family Court jurisdiction support the child being vaccinated[/caption] Children Family Court Jurisdiction: In a recent decision in the Family Court found that it was very regrettably that the mother did not support the child being vaccinated.  The Court considered that her opposition to the child being vaccinated, as the child’s principal carer, would likely complicate the process and make it much more difficult for the child. The Court considered that in these circumstances it would be...

Child support can be managed between the parties in a number of ways. Some parents prefer to and are able to have very flexible and informal arrangements between them. Others prefer that their arrangements are managed via the Child Support Agencies – and other parents formalise their arrangements via a Private Agreement.  A private Agreement determines how the expenses which may not necessarily be covered or considered sufficient under a child support assessment, completed through the Child Support Agency, would be...

Family Law System and Child Support What is the joint parliamentary committee inquiry about? The Prime Minister issued a media release on 17 September 2019 announcing the Government will undertake a Joint Parliamentary Committee of both the House and the Senate to conduct an inquiry into the Family Law system. The inquiry is to be led by Liberal MP Kevin Andrews. The inquiry was initially triggered by accusations that the court system as it currently stands is failing vulnerable Australians....

Who Is Responsible For Payment of School Fees and Extra-Curricular Activities Post Divorce? A major concern amongst parents who have children under their care is the payment and costs associated with extra curricular activities. As sport, music, dance, and other similar activities are popular with children of all ages, the costs associated with these can be quite significant over a long period of time. Unlike child support payments which are determined upon set criteria and formula, non-periodic payments associated with...

Before obtaining approval for a child passport, the Passport Office requires the child’s parent and/or any other person with parental responsibility to provide written consent for the passport being issued. Therefore, the easiest way to obtain a passport is to receive consent from the other parent. However, this will not always be possible. Child Passport on Special Circumstances In circumstances where the other parent refuses to provide written consent or does not show any inclination of supporting the allocation of...

Child maintenance If negotiation fails, a party who has the care of the children can apply to the Child Support Agency for child support for the children. An application is made to the Agency and considered by the Registrar of that Agency. The child support payable is based on a formula which depends on the incomes of the parties and the care of the children. The Child Support Agency will determine the amount of child support payable, which is normally...