7.4.1.30 How registrable maintenance liabilities are registered

Context

The Registrar (1.2.1.10) registers a registrable maintenance liability (1.1.R.40) for collection by entering details of the liability in the Register (1.2.1.10).

On this page

• Registering a registrable maintenance liability
• The effect of registering a registrable maintenance liability
• Particulars to be entered in the Child Support Register

Registering a registrable maintenance liability

The Registrar must register a registrable maintenance liability for collection when a payee (1.1.P.30) notifies Services Australia of that liability. The Registrar will not register a registrable maintenance liability for collection if the payee elects for private collect (1.1.P.110).

The Registrar registers a registrable maintenance liability by entering particulars of the liability in the Register.

See 3.3.1 for more detail about the notification requirements and what occurs when the payer (1.1.P.40) or a court notifies the Registrar of a registrable maintenance liability.

The Registrar must register a child support (1.1.C.60) liability for collection when a payee's application for a child support assessment (1.1.C.70) is accepted unless the payee elects for Services Australia not to collect that liability for them. The Registrar will not register a child support liability for collection if the payer applied for that child support.

An assessment with a zero annual rate (1.1.A.70) does not create a registrable maintenance liability, and therefore cannot be registered by the Registrar. If, however, a liability does become payable in the future, the Registrar must register the liability but the payee (or the payee and payer jointly) can elect for the Registrar to end collection of the liability. Election to end agency collect and opt in to private collect is discussed in more detail in 7.3.1.10.

There are certain circumstances (for example, a change in care (1.1.C.10) or income) which create a role reversal. A role reversal results in the payee becoming the new payer, and the payer becoming the new payee. A liability that arises as a result of a role reversal creates a new registrable maintenance liability which the Registrar must record on the register for collection. The new payee (or the payee and payer jointly) can elect for the Registrar to end agency collect and move to private collect.

A payee of a registrable maintenance liability that has not been registered with Services Australia can apply for that liability to be registered. The Registrar must register the liability when the payee's application for registration is received. However, there is an exception to this when the Registrar is only notified of an earlier registrable liability after a later maintenance liability (which relates to the same payer, payee and child/ren) has already been registered. The earlier liability cannot be registered except for the purpose of facilitating the recovery of arrears (1.1.A.100) under it. This is discussed in more detail in 1.5.3.20.

Different rules apply if the Registrar has previously registered the registrable liability but ceased to enforce it because the payee elected to end collection by Services Australia, or because the Registrar made a decision to end collection by Services Australia. In these cases, the liability remains on the Register, but it ceased to be enforceable on a specified day. The payee can apply again for collection by Services Australia. The Registrar is not required to accept the payee's application. This is discussed in more detail in 1.5.3.30.

If the liability is a registrable overseas maintenance liability (1.1.O.40) (1.5.3.10) and the payee seeking registration of the liability is resident in a reciprocating jurisdiction (1.1.R.10), the liability can only be registered where the application for registration is made by or via the relevant overseas authority (1.1.O.30). Even if the application for registration is correctly made, the Registrar may refuse to register the liability if registration would be inconsistent with international maintenance obligations.

The effect of registering a registrable maintenance liability

If the Registrar registers a registrable maintenance liability, the amounts payable under the liability become a debt due to the Commonwealth, in accordance with the details of the Register. The payee no longer has the right to enforce payment of the liability in a court, except by instituting proceedings under CSRC Act section 113A. See 8.4.5.

The methods available to Services Australia to collect child support are discussed in the following Parts:

• Part 7 Child support collection and payment options
• Part 8 Child support debt enforcement.

Services Australia pays to the payee the amounts that it collects in respect of the liability.

Particulars to be entered in the Child Support Register

The following particulars of the maintenance liability must be entered in the Register.

Particulars of the child support assessment, court order or maintenance agreement that started the liability

The following particulars must be entered in the Register:

• the payee's and payer's names
• the names and dates of birth of each of the children for whom support is to be paid under the liability
• the name of any other person for whom maintenance is payable
• particulars that show the basis of the liability (that is, whether it arises from a court order, child support assessment or agreement, and any subsequent orders, assessments or agreements that have affected the liability)
• the periodic amount (1.1.P.80) payable under the liability in relation to each child or person covered by the liability
• the period at which amounts are payable under the liability, and
• details of any terms or conditions specified in a court order or agreement that may affect the liability.

Particulars about payment periods (1.1.P.50) & payment rates for the liability

The following particulars must be entered in the Register in relation to the payment of the maintenance liability:

• the initial payment period (1.1.I.40) (7.1.4) (if any)
• the regular payment period (7.1.4) and whether the liability becomes due and payable each week, fortnight, 4 weeks or each month
• the rate of payment in relation to the regular payment period, and
• the weekly rate of payment in relation to the periodic amount or the aggregate of the periodic amounts if the Registrar will collect payments from the payer's employer.

Particulars about enforceability of the liability

The following particulars must be entered in the Register about enforceability of the liability:

• the day the liability first becomes payable to the Registrar (7.4.1.20)
• the day the liability ceases to be enforceable by the Registrar, and
• if the liability ceases to be enforceable and later becomes enforceable, each day on which the liability was not enforceable and the day on which it again becomes enforceable.

Other relevant particulars

The following particulars may also be entered in the Register:

• the daily rate of payment of the liability
• a statement of whether the liability is collected from the payer's employer, and
• anything else that the Registrar considers necessary or desirable.