Section 35A — Child Support (Assessment) Act 1989: Simplified outline

The following is a simplified outline of this Part: • This Part includes the formulas used for assessing the annual rate of child support payable by a parent for a child for a day in a child support period (other than in cases where that rate is worked out in accordance with a child support agreement, a Registrar’s determination under Part 6A or a court order). • The Costs of the Children Table published by the Secretary each year (based on the table in Schedule 1 to this Act) sets out the costs to parents of raising children in various age ranges. • Those costs are to be met by both parents (by paying child support or by caring for their children) according to each parent’s capacity to meet the costs. • To determine each parent’s capacity to meet those costs, the parents are assessed in respect of the costs of the child. • Generally, both parents’ income is taken into account in determining each parent’s capacity to meet the costs of their children. • The formulas also allow child support payable to non-parent carers of children to be worked out.