Welcome to Client Services - Child Support

Client Services - Child Support within Legal Aid Western Australia provides advice and assistance to both carers of children and those who have to pay child support.

We are not part of the Child Support Agency or Centrelink.

Maintenance for Children over 18

This comes under the Family Law Act.

• Child maintenance is money paid for children over 18 years who need assistance due to their mental or physical disability or completing their studies. The amount is decided through negotiations or an application to the Court.
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What is Child Support?

This is under the Child Support (Assessment) Act.

• Child Support is money paid by parents for the financial support of their children.

The system is administered by the Child Support Agency. Visit the Child Support Agency website for further information.

Client Services - Child Support can help Parents and other Eligible Carers with Child Support / Maintenance problems

• Payee Parents and Payer Parents may incur minor fees for services which are subject to means testing.

If you are not sure whether we can help you, please contact Client Services - Child Support.

How much will it cost?

• Advice appointments are FREE for Payee Parents receiving a Centrelink benefit/pension.
• Further help may be given if parents meet our guidelines.

How we can help?

We can assist by:

• providing information and legal advice
• drafting Court and other documents
• helping you negotiate with the Child Support Agency, Centrelink and the other party.

For more detailed information on the services we provide, please refer to Payee Parents and Payer Parents.

Clients who have Difficulty Speaking English

• Clients who have difficulty speaking English who require advice and assistance in relation to child support can contact Legal Aid.
• An appointment is made to see a Paralegal Adviser and an Interpreter will be organised, if required. The cost for the Interpreter will be covered by Legal Aid.

What happens if the other parent is getting help from Legal Aid?

• This is called a conflict of interest. Appointments for advice and assistance can be made with only one of the parties.
• When an appointment is made and there is a conflict, Legal Aid can refer the person to another service or lawyer.

General Information

• For further information about child support and maintenance, refer to Payee Parents and Payer Parents.
• For general advice relating to other Family Law matters such as who children should live with (previously called residence / custody) and who children should spend time with (previously called contact / access), please telephone Legal Aid on 1300 650 579.

Definitions

Payee Parents means parents and other people eg. grandparents who have children in their care and receive child support payments.

Payer Parents means parents financially supporting children who may not live with them all the time.

List of Centrelink benefits

Parenting Payment or part pension
More than the basic family tax benefit
New Start Allowance
Disability pension
Widows pension
Carers Pension

Payee Parents

1. We can help you with:
   
   
   • negotiating with the other parent;
   • making or setting aside Agreements;
   • changing a child support assessment and objections;
   • completing Child Support Agency and Family Court forms;
   • child support where the liable parent lives overseas;
   • lump sum child support applications;
   • child maintenance for children who are over 18 and completing their education or have a mental or physical disability;
   • Proving who is the father of the child/ren for child support purposes;
   • Social Security Appeals Tribunal (SSAT) Appeals.


2. We provide ongoing help to clients to run their own case. We operate on the self help principle and do not provide legal representation.



3. We may help with the payment of fees for payee parents such as DNA testing costs, process server fees and some other expenses.

Payer Parents

1. We can help you with:
   
   
   • negotiating with the other parent;
   • making or setting aside Agreements
   • changing a child support assessment and objections;
   • completing Child Support Agency and Family Court forms;
   • Proving who is the father of the child/ren for child support purposes.
   • Social Security Appeals Tribunal (SSAT) Appeals.

Contact Number

For all enquiries about child support, please telephone the Legal Aid Information Line on 1300 650 579.

Last Reviewed: February 2009