What it means
Child support is financial support for children, usually administered by Services Australia (the Child Support Agency) under the Child Support (Assessment) Act 1989 (Cth). A formula-based assessment considers each parent's income, the number and ages of the children, and how much time each parent cares for them. Parents can accept the assessment, make their own arrangement, or enter a binding or limited child support agreement. Child support is separate from spousal maintenance and from parenting orders, and applies regardless of whether the parents were married or de facto.
How it's used
Services Australia assessed the father to pay monthly child support based on his income and the time the children spent in his care.