How is child support calculated in Australia?

Child support uses the Services Australia eight-step formula. It is based on both parents' incomes and the care arrangement (nights per fortnight), not on assets or who keeps the house. SeparationSense shows all eight steps so you can see where the figure comes from.

Will I pay child support, or receive it?

It depends on each parent's share of the combined income versus their share of the care. The parent with the higher income relative to their care usually pays. Enter both incomes and the nights split to see who pays whom and how much.

Can we both afford to live in two separate households?

SeparationSense models each household's weekly cashflow — take-home income, child support, government support, housing, debts and living costs — and tells you whether each home covers itself or runs a shortfall, so you can plan before anything is locked in.

Does child support count as income for Family Tax Benefit?

Yes, through the Maintenance Income Test. Child support you receive can reduce your Family Tax Benefit Part A down towards the base rate. The calculator includes this interaction automatically.

Does selling the house change child support?

Not directly. Child support is income-and-care based, not asset based, so a property settlement or house sale does not change it on its own. It only flows through if it changes someone's taxable income or the care arrangement.

Is my information private?

Yes. Your figures stay on your device — names, incomes and costs are never sent to us or stored on a server. You can export a copy as a file if you want to keep or move it.

Is this financial or legal advice?

No. SeparationSense gives planning estimates only — not financial product advice, legal advice, or a Services Australia assessment. Confirm anything binding with Services Australia, a family lawyer, or a free financial counsellor (MoneySmart, 1800 007 007).

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Your separation checklist

Separating means doing a hundred things at once, in the worst headspace to remember any of them. Here's the order of play — what to sort, roughly when, and the mistakes to sidestep. Tick things off as you go; it all saves on this device only.

If you're ever in immediate danger, call 000. For support around family or domestic violence, 1800RESPECT is free and 24/7 — 1800RESPECT — 1800 737 737.

Family violence includes financial and emotional control, not just physical harm. If any of this feels unsafe, get the order of these steps checked with 1800RESPECT or a lawyer first — some of them (like opening accounts or moving out) can carry risk in a controlling relationship.

General information only — not legal or financial advice, and not a to-do list you have to do in this exact order. Every separation is different; use it as a prompt, and get the big calls checked with a professional.

Do you have children together?

First steps — steady the ground

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The first couple of weeks. Get yourself safe, solvent, and in control of your own basics.

Open a bank account in your name onlyYou need somewhere your own money lands that the other person can't see or touch. Most banks let you open one online in minutes.
Make sure you can access your own incomeIf your pay goes into a joint account, redirect it to your own account. Tell your employer your new bank details.
Secure your digital lifeChange passwords and turn on two-factor for email, banking and your phone account. Sign out of shared devices and shared logins.
Know where your key documents areMake copies (photos are fine) of IDs, birth/marriage certificates, tax returns, super statements, loan and bank statements. You'll need them for almost everything that follows.
Sort your mail and addressRedirect your post if you've moved, and start a list of accounts and services that need your new address.
Look after yourselfSee your GP, and know that free phone counselling exists. This is a genuinely hard time — you don't have to white-knuckle it.mentalhealth.men →

Watch out

Don't drain, hide, or move large sums out of joint accounts on impulse — it can count against you in a property settlement. Securing your own income is fine; stripping the joint account is not.
Don't sign anything — a lease, a loan, a 'quick agreement' — under pressure or in the heat of the moment.

Get the money picture clear

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Before any decisions, see the real numbers — for both households, not just yours.

Run the SeparationSense calculatorGet an estimate of child support, each household's cashflow, and the government support you may be entitled to — all in one place.Open the calculator →
List every asset and debtHouse, cars, savings, super, shares — and the loans, credit cards and buy-now-pay-later against them. Super is property too, and is often the second-biggest asset after the home.
Understand how child support worksIt's based on both incomes and the share of care (nights), not on who 'wins'. Services Australia runs the assessment.Services Australia — Child Support →
Check what government support you may getFamily Tax Benefit, Parenting Payment and Rent Assistance can change the picture a lot for a single-income household.Services Australia — Families →
Deal with joint debts and joint credit cardsTell lenders you've separated. Consider freezing redraw/limits so neither of you runs up joint debt the other is liable for.
Build a one-income budgetTwo homes cost more than one. Work out what you actually need to cover each week on your own.MoneySmart — Separation & divorce →

Watch out

Don't assume assets split exactly 50/50, or that the higher earner automatically keeps the house — property is negotiated on each case's facts.
Don't forget super. Leaving it out of the picture is one of the most common and expensive mistakes.

Sort housing and moving

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Where each of you will live is usually the biggest single decision — and it feeds straight back into the money.

Decide: stay, sell, or rentModel each option's effect on both households before you commit. The calculator's property & sale tools show how proceeds and new housing costs flow through.Open the calculator →
If you'll rent, get application-readyReferences, rental history, ID, and proof of income. Single-income applications are tougher — having the paperwork ready helps.
Plan the practical moveUtilities, internet, removalists, redirections, and a change-of-address list. Small things pile up fast — a written list keeps it manageable.
Keep the kids' world as steady as you canSame school, same routines, same friends where possible. Stability matters more to them than a perfect new bedroom.

Watch out

Don't move out of the family home without understanding how it can affect a property settlement and parenting arrangements — get advice first.

Kids and parenting

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If you have children, this is the part that matters most — and the part to keep furthest from the conflict.

Agree (or propose) parenting arrangementsHow the kids' time is shared — the number of nights with each parent — also directly affects the child support assessment.
Tell schools and childcare, update emergency contactsSo both parents stay in the loop and pickups/contacts are clear.
Try Family Dispute Resolution (mediation)For parenting matters you're generally required to attempt mediation before going to court. It's cheaper, faster, and less damaging.Family Relationship Advice Line — 1800 050 321 →
Keep it child-focusedShield them from the adult conflict. Kids do best when they're allowed to love both parents.

Watch out

Don't badmouth the other parent to the kids or where they can hear it.
Don't use the children as messengers, spies, or bargaining chips.

Legal and official admin

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The paperwork that makes things real, binding, and final. Most has time limits — don't let it drift.

Get a first legal consultMany family lawyers offer a free or low-cost first appointment. Legal Aid and community legal centres can help if cost is a barrier.National Legal Aid →
Know the property settlement time limitsGenerally 12 months after a divorce, or 2 years after a de facto separation, to apply for a property settlement. Miss it and you may need the court's permission.Federal Circuit and Family Court →
Update your Will and super nominationSeparation does NOT automatically remove your ex from your Will or your super death-benefit nomination. Update them deliberately.
Update insurance and other beneficiariesLife insurance, private health, and any policies that name your ex.
Tell Centrelink and the ATO your status changedYour relationship status affects payments and tax. Updating it promptly avoids debts and overpayments later.
Understand separation vs divorceYou can sort money and parenting while separated. To apply for a divorce you generally need to have been separated for 12 months.

Watch out

Don't rely on a handshake or a text for a property split. Get it formalised (consent orders or a binding financial agreement) so it's actually enforceable.

Communication and wellbeing

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How you talk to each other — and how you hold up — shapes how the whole thing goes.

Keep communication brief and businesslikeBrief, Informative, Friendly, Firm. Treat it like a work email about a shared project, not a relationship post-mortem.
Use written channels for arrangementsEmail or text for anything about money or the kids, so there's a clear record and less room for 'he said / she said'.
Plan hard conversations in advanceDecide the one or two points you need to land, write them down, and stick to them. You don't have to resolve everything in one go.
Protect your mental healthThis is grief as much as admin. Lifeline (13 11 14) and Beyond Blue are there any time; mentalhealth.men is built for exactly this.Lifeline — 13 11 14 →
Lean on your peopleTell a few trusted friends or family what's going on. Isolation makes everything heavier.

Watch out

Don't fire off messages in anger — draft it, wait an hour, then decide whether to send.
Don't try to 'win' every exchange. The goal is workable, not victorious.

Money is only one slice of this. The calculator handles that slice; for the rest, the services linked above do the heavy lifting. And if you're struggling, that's normal — mentalhealth.men is built for it.

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