Child Support / Paternity

Child support ensures that the separated parents and their children enjoy a similar standard of living in both households.

The Child Support Agency is the Federal Government department that oversees who pays who as well as how much should be paid. Parents may bypass the Child Support Agency and document binding private agreements themselves in certain circumstances.

Binding Child Support Agreements allow parents to agree on how much child support is paid, and what it is applied to. For the agreement to be binding, a family and divorce lawyer must represent each parent and provide a certificate confirming that the parent has been provided with independent legal advice. The signed agreements are then be registered with the Agency.