The Child Support Guide Home

The child support scheme was formed to assist separated parents to take responsibility for the financial support of their children. The Child Support Registrar (the Registrar) administers the child support scheme.

On 1 July 2011, the Australian Government Department of Human Services (the department) began delivering the services and payments provided previously by the Child Support Agency, Medicare Australia, Centrelink and the Family Assistance Office.

The Child Support Guide is a technical resource for the department, to support the delivery of services and administration of the child support scheme. It is produced and edited by the Child Support Policy Advice section.

It is organised into parts, chapters and topics. The menu provides links to all parts of The Child Support Guide. To search for specific information or topics use the 'Search the Guide' box or the a to z alphabetic listing of topics.

Staff are expected to follow The Child Support Guide except where it would result in an anomaly. Staff are also expected to report any anomalies to the Child Support Policy Advice section by using the feedback link in each chapter so that corrective action can be taken.

A copy of The Child Support Guide in its entirety is not available. It is updated frequently and the electronic version should be relied upon. You can see what changes have been made to The Child Support Guide on the What's new? page.

Feedback is always welcome from parents, legal practitioners and other interested parties by using the feedback link in each chapter. The department cannot guarantee that all suggestions will receive a response or be acted upon.

Note: External users should not use The Child Support Guide in place of independent legal advice. The Commonwealth accepts no liability for any loss suffered as a result of reliance on any material in The Child Support Guide.