Child Support Lawyer in Brisbane

Child support is a form of financial support payable by one parent to the other for the benefit of a child under the age of 18, to help cover the costs of day-to-day care.

The process of deciding who pays child support can be complicated. The Department of Human Services- Child Support is responsible for implementing this scheme including assessing the amount of child support to be paid and ensuring compliance with that assessment.

Child Support Agreement

The administrative assessment of your financial situation is not for everyone, and for parents who prefer to come to their own agreement about the support of their children, they can choose to have  their own contract. This is called a Child Support Agreement.

Child Support Agreements come in various types, with various lifecycles (from a few years, to  years in length) and can provide for periodic  or non-periodic support, or both, depending on what parents agree are needed for each child. They can even cover lump sum payments or payment of other expenses.

There are situations in which the assessment can be the subject of review, to produce a fairer outcome after taking account of  the circumstances of a particular family.

Your Specialist Family Law Firm in Brisbane

If your family situation has recently changed, we can ensure the children of separated parents are provided for financially. The payment of child support is, for some families, a sensitive issue, and at BGM Family Lawyers we can provide you with the best options to ensure that payments to be made are fair and viable.

As a Specialist Family Law Firm we can also prepare child support agreements and look at other ways that child support can be incorporated into an overall property settlement.

To speak with one of our experienced family lawyers, please contact our Brisbane City Law Office today. Contact us today on 1300 246 529 or send us an online enquiry.

Financial Agreements FAQ

All my former partner has to do so that he/she does not have to pay any child support is to give up their job, or put all of their wealth in their new partner’s name.

Yes, we see people do all sorts of things during relationship breakdown. But our child support legislation is designed to see to it that children are supported at a rate which is appropriate in the circumstances of their family. This means that the Registrar of the Child Support Agency has the discretion to making a finding that if a person has voluntarily given up work, their child support liability should be calculated on the basis of their working capacity. Similarly, if a parent makes himself or herself a ‘person of straw’ by transferring their business to a third party (such as a new spouse), the Registrar can examine such things as how that parent is funding their lifestyle, and draw an inference that, if their living costs are being paid for them in the same manner as was the case prior to separation, the situation remains unaltered, and that the parent has access to income at the same level as was the case previously.

We Can Help

Knowing that there are a variety of ways to define child support enables this issue to be woven into the resolution of property settlement and parenting issues, to create a ‘package’ outcome which is just right for your family.

For expert legal advice from skilled Brisbane Family Lawyers, contact us today on 1300 246 529 or send us an online enquiry.