Child support is a cash transfer from one parent to the other, with no obligation on how the money is spent. The receiving parent can use it however they choose and is not required to spend it on the child.
The payments essentially put the parents on an equal income footing, allowing each parent to cover general expenses as part of their parenting duties.
Major costs, like private school fees or braces, might not be included in the regular payments. These significant expenses often require extra contributions.
There are no strict rules about who pays for what on a daily basis; parents need to work it out themselves. However, a good rule of thumb is that the percentage of expenses one parent covers should roughly match their percentage of care time.
Key Takeaways
- Child support is flexible, and the receiving parent can spend it however they choose.
- There is no legal requirement for the receiving parent to spend the money on specific items for the child.
- Private school fees and braces are often not covered by regular child support.
- Parents can agree on additional contributions for major expenses, or use the COA process if they cannot agree.
- Parents must usually work out between themselves who pays for which expenses.
Overview
Child support in Australia is intended to provide financial assistance from one parent to the other to help meet the costs of raising a child. Importantly, the receiving parent has full discretion over how the funds are used and is under no obligation to allocate the money to particular expenses or even to spend it directly on the child.
Significant or non-standard expenses, such as private school fees or braces, are typically not covered by regular child support payments. In these situations, parents may agree on additional contributions. If agreement cannot be reached, either parent can apply for a Change of Assessment (COA) so the issue can be considered formally.
Common Expenses Covered by Child Support
Child support can be used for a wide range of ordinary child-related and household expenses, including:
- Food. Groceries and meals.
- Clothing. Everyday wear, school uniforms, and seasonal needs.
- Housing. Rent, mortgage payments, and utilities.
- Education. General school fees, textbooks, and necessary supplies.
- Medical care. Routine healthcare, including doctor visits and medications.
The receiving parent is free to allocate the funds as they see fit, whether toward these expenses or other household costs.
Credits for Expenses Met by the Payer
In some cases, payments made directly by the paying parent can be credited against their child support liability. These are known as non-agency payments and are generally available only where the payer has less than 14% care.
Examples include:
- Child care costs. Payments for childcare services.
- School and preschool fees. Tuition charged by schools or preschools.
- Uniforms and books. Required school items.
- Essential medical and dental services. Necessary treatment.
- Housing costs. The payee’s share of rent or mortgage payments.
- Motor vehicle costs. Costs associated with transport for the child.
Up to 30% of a payer’s child support liability can usually be met through approved non-agency payments. These payments must be documented and either agreed to by both parents or accepted by Child Support.
Does Child Support Cover School Fees?
Private school fees are not normally covered by regular child support payments. Parents often agree separately on how to share these costs.
If agreement cannot be reached, a parent may seek a Change of Assessment. Whether a contribution is ordered depends on factors such as prior agreement, necessity, and the financial capacity of each parent. A parent cannot unilaterally enrol a child in an expensive school and then require the other parent to contribute.
Does Child Support Cover Braces?
Braces are generally treated as a non-standard medical expense and are not automatically covered by regular child support.
Parents commonly agree to share these costs. If they cannot agree, a COA can be used to assess whether a contribution is appropriate. Braces are often considered necessary treatment, but purely cosmetic orthodontic work may not be accepted.
What Is It Supposed to Cover?
As a general rule, parents do not control how the other spends child support. The receiving parent has complete discretion over the use of the funds.
However, it is not reasonable for a receiving parent to collect child support and then ask the other parent to split all routine expenses again. That would amount to double contribution.
Equally, the paying parent cannot expect their child support payments to cover their own costs when the child is in their care. Each parent remains responsible for day-to-day expenses during their parenting time and should contribute to shared costs such as clothing and major medical needs.
In practice, most parents settle on arrangements that reflect a basic fairness principle: overall costs broadly follow care time. Child support itself is calculated on this assumption.
Related: How Child Support is Calculated
Legal Framework and Agreements
The Child Support (Registration and Collection) Act 1988 provides the legislative framework for child support collection, credits for direct payments, and adjustments in special circumstances.
While many parents resolve major expenses by agreement, the Change of Assessment process exists to address situations where agreement is not possible and a contribution may be fair.
What Does It Cover in Each State?
Child support is a national scheme administered by Services Australia. The rules are the same in every state and territory.
In Queensland, Victoria, New South Wales, and elsewhere, child support is intended to help the receiving parent meet general living costs for the child. The payments can be spent however the recipient chooses.
The same principles apply in Western Australia, South Australia, and Tasmania. Large or unusual expenses, such as private schooling or specialised therapy, are usually handled separately from regular child support.
How this analysis was developed
The points made in this article reflect how Australia’s child support system actually operates, rather than how it is often described in general guidance.
The analysis draws on three sources:
- The child support legislation itself, including the rules governing assessments, non-agency payments, and Change of Assessment decisions.
- Departmental guidance issued by Services Australia, which shapes how those rules are applied in practice.
- Extensive direct input from parents, including recurring questions, disputes, and points of contention about what child support is expected to cover.
What parents argue about, what they expect, and where misunderstandings arise are consistent and predictable. Those patterns are the basis for the explanations above.
Anonymous
We have three children with a 50/50 care arrangement. The kid’s dad doesn’t pay child support but does contribute to a shared account for expenses (e.g. swimming lessons, daycare cost, health insurance).
We have a total income of $190,000. He earns approx. $140K and I earn $50K. She his income sits around 74% and mine at 26% of the total pool.
What would be a reasonable amount to request towards child support costs?
Dr Andrew Lancaster
Well, according to the government’s formula, about $1400 a month (depending on child ages). Refer here: https://childsupportaustralia.com/calculator-estimator/
But, as I’ve made videos and posts about, there are very good reasons why no child support should be payable when care is 50:50. He is probably providing a higher material standard of care (e.g. if provides a bigger house) and, as you say, is also contributing to shared expenses. The govt formula heavily penalises parents who are good providers financially, especially around the sorts of relative incomes here ($140k and $50k).
You probably have a better sense of what is fair in the circumstances. It probably wouldn’t be fair for you to go after child support. But you could always remind him of the amounts involved if you don’t think he’s contributing enough.
Deeanna
My ex & I own our family home 50/50. He wants to continue owning it and contributing 50% of the mortgage/rates/insurance.
Myself & our 2x kids live in the house & he has moved into a rental (low cost).
However, how does this impact child support? Should I just put in a assessment based on our incomes? Should he get a reduction due to already covering 50% of the mortgage. The thing is, if we did decide to sell, he is contributing 50% to the ownership & would benefit from that. I don’t want to rip him off, but also want to ensure it is fair. Kids are with me 100% of the time but that could change in the future.
Dr Andrew Lancaster
All of this sits outside the child support system. Services Australia only cares about your taxable incomes, not your assets or private deals. Why do either of you want to stay financially entangled by sharing assets? It is probably not a good plan for the long term as it could lead to major disputes down the road.
JH
I am the father of two children with approximately 30% custody. My son has a minor respiratory condition which requires two different types of medication.
I pay for the medication kept at my house (and am happy to do so) but my ex-partner is now insisting that I pay for half his doctor visits too.
These don’t amount to a huge amount of money but it’s the principle which bothers me. I pay a hefty amount of child support which means I have significantly less disposable income than she does.
Given that this website states that child support should cover “Medical care. Routine healthcare, including doctor visits and medications”, am I entitled to refuse this in future?
Dr Andrew Lancaster
There are no rules here. But, without knowing the care % details, it seems reasonable that she pay for routine medical expenses out of the funds she receives from you. She doesn’t seem to have grounds to apply for a Change of Assessment.
Tracey
My 16 year old daughter lives with me 85% of the time. The mother pays child support. The 16 has left year 11 to go to TAFE full time, does the mother need to then contribute to the cost of attending TAFE or is that covered under the child support payments even though the child now has increased costs, thanks
Dr Andrew Lancaster
You’re on the hook for these costs unless the other parent wants to contribute. TAFE doesn’t seem to be an agreed abnormal expense (like private school fees might be), nor is it an unavoidable and unusual expense such as special-needs medical treatment. It’s just a regular expense. Hence, the other parent still just makes the same payments as normal based on the standard formula. They also wouldn’t usually contribute since you have 85% care, meaning you’re already assumed to be covering these kinds of costs.
JJ
My ex partner earns double my salary and we share 50% of three kids and I have 100% custody of one. I understand the child support paid to me for the one child should cover all expenses for that child. What about the other three? Do I need to cover all expenses for the others that are shared across both households ie phone plans, school fees, uniforms, extra curricular activities, shoes etc? Or are you saying we should pay 50% or these costs despite me receiving child support?
Dr Andrew Lancaster
Child support in the case of shared custody is not meant to cover all costs. It’s essentially financial compensation for one parent having a lower income. Sometimes it makes sense for the receiver to cover extra expenses because it’s obvious that they shouldn’t be getting extra money. As I’ve said previously, there are no rules. Often, the best arrangement is for parents to take care of different types of expenses. You don’t want to have to be splitting bills all the time. For example, one parent might like clothes shopping while the other could handle sports.
Katie Beattie
My 15 year old daughter has been assessed as needing braces to correct a traumatic deep bite and a few other things (overcrowding etc). I have provided my ex husband with the quote and reports, and said we can pay half each, but he thinks it’s too expensive and has not agreed to contribute. If we cannot come to an agreement how can I get CSA to help me?
Dr Andrew Lancaster
You should let him know that the default is that he will be paying half. If he wants to save on costs, he needs to explain to you how.
You can apply for a Change of Assessment (Reason 2: High Costs of Special Needs or Medical Expenses). This allows Services Australia to review the situation and consider the orthodontic costs as part of your child support arrangement.
When applying, you’ll need to provide evidence, including the orthodontic quote and any relevant reports.