What does child support cover in Australia?

Legally, there are no requirements for what child support covers or does not cover. It is usually a cash transfer from one parent to another, and there’s no limitations on what the recipient can spend it on. However, some of the most common expenditures of child support include:

• School fees, uniforms, and equipment

• A child’s leisure or sporting activities

• Food, housing, rates, and bills

• Dental and medical fees

Child support is best applied when parents come to an agreement on prescribed expenses. Generally, it’s fair that you should pay the percentage of expenses that correlates with your time with the children. For example, if you spend 70% of the week with children, you should pay 70% of expenses.