Many people agree to pay (and receive) child support through the Child Support Agency. It can be a difficult, slow and cumbersome process when it comes to providing relevant details and having the Agency assess and organise payments.

Centrelink has now released a mobile phone app to make the process easier - incorporating the information that you can obtain via your child support online account.

For those who aren't familiar with the child support online account, this is a website (and now an app) where you can consolidate your information regarding child support. It allows you to:

  1. Check when your payments due (or when payments are due to be made)
  2. See child support that is currently outstanding
  3. View a history of payments made and received
  4. Obtain your latest account information and view and update your personal details
  5. Provide changes in the care arrangements for the children in an easy, online system
  6. Send information regarding change of assessment, varying of personal details and income estimate.

If you have a private arrangement, you can also confirm with Centrelink that those payments have been made via the online system.

There is also a child support estimator to help you calculate how payments would change if arrangements for the children change, or your income changes. Simply enter your details into the child support estimator and calculate your support payments without lodging the information first. This can be found at the website, click here.

There are many occasions though where the child support payments do not adequately reflect the needs of the children, or represent the arrangement the parties wish to enter into. In those circumstances, you can sign a Binding Child Support Agreement which can be tailored to your individual circumstances. Should you wish to enquire further about Binding Child Support Agreements, please organise an appointment with one of our Accredited Specialists.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.