Assessment Notice
An assessment notice is the official letter issued after your child support is worked out or updated. It shows how much is payable, both as a yearly and daily amount. It also lists key details used in the calculation, including each parent’s income, care percentage, and the children in the case, along with the date the assessment applies from.
Definition
An assessment notice (or notice of assessment) is a written notice issued by the Registrar immediately after an administrative assessment has been made. It provides the payee and payer with their assessed child support liability and must provide this to them as both an annual rate and daily rate.
Definition source: Guides to Social Policy Law, Child Support Guide, Version 4.97, released 20 March 2026, 1.1.A.120 Assessment notice.
Role in the formula
The assessment notice is the output of the child support formula. It does not change the calculation itself. Instead, it sets out the result and the key details used to work it out, including each parent’s income, care percentages, and the children in the case, along with the date the assessment applies from.
The notice locks in timing. It shows when a new rate starts and confirms that you have been formally notified. These dates matter for objections, reviews, and any backdating.
The notice must include both the annual and daily rates. The daily rate allows the system to adjust amounts precisely when changes occur partway through a period.
It also outlines your rights. This includes the ability to object, seek review, or apply for a change of assessment. These rights are tied to the timing of the notice.
Example
You receive a new assessment notice after your income is updated. The notice shows a higher annual rate, your updated taxable income, and your care percentage. It also states the exact date the new rate starts.
If you disagree, the notice marks the point from which objection timeframes run. If you ignore it, the new rate still applies from the effective date shown.
Even when notices arrive frequently, each one should be checked. Small changes can affect your rate, and the notice is the only place where the full picture is set out clearly.