Experienced Child Support Lawyer
Highly experienced in all child support matters, helping you understand your rights and obligations throughout the process.
Effective Communication and Negotiation
Through effective negotiation and communication, we try to ensure fair and reasonable outcomes that prioritise the wellbeing of children.
Compassionate and Understanding
We know your situation is difficult and emotional, so we approach your case with compassion and understanding without losing sight of the law.
Our Reviews
As a small family law firm, we treat our clients as individuals and respect the difficulties of each situation. We provide honest family law advice for married couples, those in de facto relationships or even those looking to enter a new relationship. See what some of our clients have to say:
Our Child Support Legal Services
Legal advice on rights and obligations and appeals against decisions.
- Legal advice on rights and obligations
- Child support agreements
- Petitions for child support
- Court representation
- Child support assessment review
- Child support orders
- Binding child support agreements
- Appeals against decisions
About Us
As a highly experienced child support lawyer, Arcadian Legal prioritises a fair arrangement to protect the children involved. We guide parents and help them understand their rights and responsibilities regarding paying or receiving child support. We negotiate effectively on your behalf to secure suitable financial arrangements that will protect your child’s best interests and ensure that child support payments are fair.
We Can Help
Parents Receiving Child Support
We help parents who are intended recipients of child support and need legal expertise to ensure they are paid correctly. We can guide you through the process of obtaining and enforcing child support orders, represent you in court, calculate the amount of child support received, advocate for fair and appropriate support payments, and make modifications when the situation arises. We handle all communication and negotiations to secure a fair outcome for you.
Parents Paying Child Support
We also help parents who are required to pay child support, providing valuable guidance and support to help them understand their rights and obligations based on their situation. This will involve explaining how payments are calculated and the factors that may affect the amount you owe so you can be more informed about your position. We can work on your behalf to ensure fair negotiation that accurately reflects your financial circumstances.
Problems We Can Help Solve
Child Support Payment Disputes
Child support payments are calculated based on income, expenses, and percentage of care. If a dispute arises from non-compliance with child support payments, we help our clients by initiating enforcement proceedings such as filing motions and raising accrued debts with the child support agency.
Failure to Make Court-Ordered Payments
Court-ordered payments can be periodic, non-periodic, lump sum, or non-agency payments. In cases where one party fails to make these payments, we can help you file an enforcement order and advocate on your behalf to ensure these payments are made for your child’s welfare.
Interstate or Overseas Jurisdiction Issues
Child support orders may be enforced in reciprocating jurisdictions under the law when a parent lives in another state or country. For non-reciprocating jurisdictions, we can help you better understand your rights and seek assistance from Services Australia to enforce the collection of this debt.
Changes in Financial Circumstances
If the paying parent experiences a change in financial circumstances, such as job loss, illness or medical expenses, they may be unable to meet their current child support obligations. In cases like this, we can help you request the court to re-evaluate your child support obligation, whether temporary or long-term.
Income Deception
If the paying party has chosen to hide income and assets to reduce the amount of child support needed, this is considered false information. It can result in serious consequences such as retroactive payment enforcement. This means the parent has to make additional payments to cover the missing amount.
Inappropriate Use of Child Support Funds
If the receiving parent is found to be misusing child support funds, we can assist the paying parent by reporting the situation and asking the court to reassess the needs of the child. Legal consequences can also be enforced for the offending parent, depending on the situation.
A Child Support Lawyer You Can Trust
As an experienced child support lawyer across Sydney, we leverage our understanding of the law to calculate accurate child support obligations based on your situation. This will include assessing income, expenses, and other relevant factors under the law.
In cases where child support matters intersect with other family law issues such as spouse support, divorce and custody, our experienced lawyer can help you better understand your position, rights and obligations so you can make an informed decision when dealing with these interconnected issues.
Ultimately, our primary goal is to ensure that the best interests of your children are upheld, working to secure sufficient financial support to ensure their needs are met.
Experienced Legal Representation for All Child Support Matters
We know how emotionally challenging child support cases can be, which is why having a knowledgeable and experienced lawyer on your side can help you go through the legal process as smoothly as possible. Our empathetic and understanding child support lawyer will review your case closely to ensure every detail is covered when representing you in such a situation.
Child support cases may sometimes involve court appearances and legal proceedings. An experienced lawyer such as Arcadian Legal will ensure all evidence is gathered, help you understand what happens in court and present all documentation to support your case – in or out of court.
Arcadian Legal is a trusted advocate for parents receiving or paying child support, providing experienced legal expertise and support to ensure that your children’s financial needs are met.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Who is required to pay child support?
Child support payments are calculated with the intention of contributing to the costs associated with the child’s upbringing and ensuring the child’s financial needs are met effectively post-separation. The amount of child support required varies, considering factors such as income, the number of children, and the care arrangements in place. Usually, the legal obligation to pay child support falls on parents who do not live with their children.
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My ex stopped paying child support. What can I do?
If your ex has stopped paying child support, it’s important to find out why this is the case to ensure your child continues to receive the child support they need. Those who have an amicable relationship may wish to contact their ex directly to seek a resolution. However, this isn’t always the case. We can help you understand your rights in these situations, seek enforcement orders, and help with mediation and legal procedures.
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When do child support payments come to an end?
Child support payments typically end when the child turns 18 years old. However, there are certain circumstances where child support may continue past this age, such as if the child has a disability or is still undergoing full-time education. If you have any questions or concerns about when child support will end, it’s best to seek legal advice, as we can help you better understand your rights and obligations in these matters.
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What does child support cover?
Child support payments generally cover necessities such as food, housing, and clothing. It may also include education, healthcare, and extracurricular expenses. The amount of child support is determined based on the income of both parents, special circumstances, and the child’s needs. Child support is meant to ensure that both parents contribute fairly to their child’s upbringing and care, regardless of their relationship status.
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How much do you charge and who can you help?
Our fees for child support cases are fair and will depend on the nature of your case. Our first 30-minute consultation is free so you can better understand where you stand based on our initial discussion. We can help parents who need child support and those expected to pay child support, having represented parties on either side over the last 20+ years. Call or visit us to discuss your case.