Hello
everyone
I
have had a number of clients lately who have been struggling to pay all the
costs associated with their children, but who are not receiving any child
support.
There
is a lot of incorrect "information" about the obligations of both
parents to pay child support. Some
people seem to think it is "unfair" to claim money from their former
spouse, even though they are covering most of the children's costs.
Often
people mistakenly link the concept of who should "pay" for the
children with who is "guilty" or who decided to leave and end the
relationship.
There
is also a false believe among many that if the children have the same amount
of time with both parents then no child support is payable by either parent.
And
finally another common misconception is that the person who was the primary
income earner during the relationship should pay for everything, despite how
often the children are in their care, or the income of the other party.
None
of these scenarios are correct.
Child
support is assessed by the Child Support Agency, based on the income of both parties,
the number of nights the children spend in each parent's care and the age of
the children.
Everyone
should obtain a child support assessment so they know the obligation of each
spouse even if they agree to pay more or less than what the assessment states.
Parents
are able to agree with respect to the amount they receive, or if school fees for
example are paid instead of cash.
But
whatever the situation that each family finds itself in, both parents must
contribute to the costs of children after they separate. The payments are for the benefit of the
children not the former spouse and a failure to pay child support can never be in the best
interests of the children.
As
always please feel free to comment on this or any other of my blogs. I
would also be happy to respond to any questions you may have on this topic.
If
you have any further queries please feel free to contact me directly at
Septimus Jones & Lee on (03) 9613 6555
