Using the Child Support Guide
Welcome to the Child Support Guide (CS Guide). The CS Guide has been designed as a web publication (HTML). It is not available in a single electronic file or in paper format.
What does the CS Guide cover?
The CS Guide is divided into 6 parts as explained in the following table:
| Part Name | What is Covered |
|---|---|
| 1 About the Scheme | The objects of the child support scheme, the background of the scheme and a brief history of legislative amendments, as well as a discussion of Australian residence and overseas cases. |
| 2 Child support assessments | Rules relating to child support assessments. |
| 3 Registrable maintenance liabilities | The types of registrable maintenance liabilities, notification requirements, how court orders are varied and some hints on how to interpret difficult clauses and commonly used expressions. The registration of overseas child support orders, court registered agreements and liabilities is also described. |
| 4 Objecting, seeking a review, appealing and applying to court | Rules relating to objections, reviews, appeals and court applications under the child support legislation. |
| 5 Collecting child support | Explanation of the options for private collection by a payee as well as DHS collection and enforcement of child support payments. |
| 6 Administration | Description of the various provisions that affect how the Registrar administers child support cases. |
Use of abbreviations
For ease of reference the following abbreviations are used in the Guide:
- CSRC Act - Child Support (Registration and Collection) Act 1988
- CSA Act - Child Support (Assessment) Act 1989
- CSRC Regs - Child Support (Registration and Collection) Regulations 2018
- CSA Regs - Child Support (Assessment) Regulations 2018
- FL Act - Family Law Act 1975
- FL Regs - Family Law Regulations 1984
- FA Guide - Family Assistance Guide
- FAAct - A New Tax System (Family Assistance) Act 1999
- FA(Admin)Act - A New Tax System (Family Assistance) (Administration) Act 1999
- SS Guide - Social Security Guide
- SSAct - Social Security Act 1991
- SS(Admin)Act - Social Security (Administration) Act 1999
- PPL Guide - Paid Parental Leave Guide
- PPLAct - Paid Parental Leave Act 2010
- AAT Act - Administrative Appeals Tribunal Act 1975
Finding information
The following features are provided to assist in finding relevant information:
- Search - type your search term (words or phrases) in the search box at the top of the page. The Advanced search on the results page allows a search to be limited to a specific Guide or Guides.
- Site map - gives an overall picture of the structure of the Child Support Guide.
- Keyword Index - this provides an extensive list of words which can be used to search for specific topics.