Child Support Lawyers
Since its foundation, Manby and Scott has practised exclusively in child support law. Our aim is to provide the highest quality legal advice and representation in that jurisdiction.
We are recognised as a leading authority amongst the small group of child support lawyers in Australia. We have extensive experience in working with the complex child support laws and, in particular, working with parents who believe their administrative assessment as issued by the Child Support Agency does not produce a fair outcome in all the circumstances of their case.
We can also assist in relation to paternity issues, overseas child support matters, enforcement of child support debts, child support stay orders and the preparation of private child support agreements. For more information please telephone us.
We offer clients a free, no obligation initial interview during which we can discuss your situation in detail.
Contact Us
Normanby Chambers
430 Little Collins St
Melbourne, Victoria
3000 Australia
PH: (03) 9909 7742
Fax: (03) 8678 1009
Areas of Practice
Enforcement of child support debts
Once the Child Support Agency registers a maintenance liability for collection, the amounts payable are debts due to the Commonwealth by the payer. The debt is enforceable by the Agency and may be recovered through administrative processes or court proceedings (brought by either the Child Support Agency or the payee).
Change of child support assessments
The Child Support Agency uses an administrative formula to make a child support assessment. However, if parents or children have special circumstances, the administrative formula may not provide a fair level of child support. Part 6A Child Support Assessment provides a means for the Child Support Agency to administratively change a child support assessment in the special circumstances of a case.
Child support agreements/Variation of agreements
The Child Support legislation allows (and even encourages) parents to reach agreement on the amount of child support to be paid. A child support agreement has to meet the requirements of the legislation and has to include matters that can be dealt with in a child support agreement. Once parents have made a child support agreement, either parent can apply to the Child Support Agency to have it accepted.
Paternity
When a carer parent applies for a child support assessment from the Child Support Agency, the Agency can be satisfied that the person they seek child support from is a parent of a child only in 8 fact situations (section 29(2) Child Support Assessment Act):
Departure Orders
In certain circumstances the Child Support Assessment Act allows parents who are dissatisfied with decisions made by the Child Support Agency’s change of assessment process to apply directly to a court to have that decision reviewed
Overseas child support matters
Due to various treaties Australia has entered into, the Child Support Agency has considerable responsibilities in the fields of collecting child support from Australians on behalf of payees who are overseas and also collecting on behalf of Australian payees from payers who are overseas.