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Child Support Service

Legal Aid NSW statewide specialist service.

Help for people with child support problems

The Legal Aid NSW Child Support Service gives you free, independent advice. We are not part of Centrelink or Services Australia: Child Support and we will not give your information to anyone without your permission.

We can help:

  • parents who have to pay child support;
  • parents who need to get child support for their children; and
  • people looking after children who are not their own because of a family court order or informal arrangement (for example grandparents, aunts or uncles).

Legal advice and advocacy
 
  • proof of parentage so you can get child support from your child’s father;
  • getting a higher rate of Family Tax Benefit from Centrelink if you are afraid to apply for child support or you can’t identify or locate your child’s father;
  • any issues related to child support, including collection problems, assessments and agreements; and
  • court proceedings about child support legal issues.

In some cases we can help you to chase up your case with Services Australia: Child Support or by writing to the other parent.

Representation in a tribunal or a court

Sometimes if you need more help, one of our lawyers can represent you in child support proceedings in a court or at the Administrative Appeals Tribunal. To get this help you must fill in an application form for a ‘grant of legal aid’. You can get the application form on the Apply for legal aid page of website, from Legal Aid NSW offices or from duty lawyers at local courts. Our staff can help you fill out the form.

The form will ask you about your personal and financial situation. Legal Aid NSW will look at your case and let you know if a lawyer will represent you.

If we are already helping the other party in your legal case we will help you to find a private lawyer.

 

The Legal Aid NSW Child Support Service runs telephone advice clinics at set times every weekday (Monday to Friday).

Please contact us to make an appointment:

  • Sydney and metropolitan areas: (02) 9633 9916
  • Outside Sydney: 1800 451 784
  • Legal Aid NSW, Level 4, 128 Marsden Street, Parramatta NSW 2150
  • Email: admin.css@legalaid.nsw.gov.au

Your appointment is free and confidential.

Tell us if you need an interpreter for your appointment.

Resources

Child Support Service

This brochure explains how Legal Aid NSW's Child Support Service can help both paying and carer parents with child support matters.

Getting child support

This factsheet has information on how to lodge an application for a child support assessment with Services Australia Child Support and apply for a child support parentage declaration

Disputing paternity

The Taking action to dispute paternity factsheet outlines what you can do if you don't think that you are the father of the child.

Changing your assessment

If you have special circumstances that make your child support assessment unfair, you may be able to apply to the Services Australia: Child Support for a 'Change of Assessment'.

Applying for a stay order

This factsheet has information about obtaining a stay order, which is a temporary court order that suspends or reduces child support while a decision is made about a child support case

Administrative Appeals Tribunal

This factsheet explains the steps you can take if you disagree with a child support decision made by Services Australia: Child Support.