Child Support Agreement
You and your ex-partner have already agreed how child support will work between you. We'll turn that agreement into a proper document, at a fixed price, reviewed by a family lawyer before it's finalised.
You've worked out between you what's fair when it comes to supporting your kids financially. A child support agreement is how that arrangement gets put into a proper document, instead of leaving it to the government's standard formula.
What is a child support agreement?
A child support agreement is a private, written agreement between you and your ex-partner about how child support will be paid, instead of relying on Services Australia's standard child support assessment formula. It lets you agree your own arrangement - the amount, how it's paid, and what it covers - as long as both of you are genuinely on the same page.
Wondering whether this is right for you instead of the standard assessment? See our full comparison on child support agreement vs assessment.
Limited or binding - the two types, explained plainly
There are two real types of child support agreement in Australia, and they work differently:
A limited child support agreement is the simpler option. It has to be based on an existing child support assessment - you're agreeing to vary from that assessment, not replacing it from scratch. Either of you can end a limited agreement once it's been in place for three years, or earlier if you both agree to end it.
A binding child support agreement is more formal. It doesn't need to be based on an existing assessment at all, so it can cover arrangements an assessment wouldn't. The trade-off is that each of you must get independent legal advice before signing - that's a legal requirement for a binding agreement to take effect, not an optional extra - and it's harder to end once it's in place.
Not sure which one fits your situation? Tell us what you've agreed and we'll point you to the right one.
Often prepared alongside a parenting plan or consent orders
A child support agreement deals specifically with the money side of supporting your kids. It's commonly prepared alongside a parenting plan or consent orders, which cover where the kids live and how time is split, rather than as a completely separate matter. If you're formalising a parenting arrangement already, it's worth sorting the financial side out at the same time.
Choose how you'd like this done
Fully prepared, lawyer-reviewed
Confirmed upfront, no hourly billing
We prepare your child support agreement documents from scratch, limited or binding. An independent family lawyer in our network reviews everything, including the required independent advice for a binding agreement.
Get startedDIY Kit
Template, guide and checklist - no lawyer review included
Prefer to prepare the documents yourself? Our DIY Kit gives you the templates and a step-by-step guide, with an easy upgrade to lawyer review later if you want it.
See the DIY KitHow this works
No long forms up front. The detail comes later, once your agreement is actually being prepared.
Tell us what's agreed
A couple of lines about the arrangement you and your ex-partner have in mind is enough to start.
We prepare your agreement
Limited or binding, drafted to reflect what you've worked out, at a fixed price.
Independent legal advice, then it's finalised
An independent family lawyer in our network reviews everything, and arranges the independent advice each of you needs if you're going with a binding agreement.
This service is for situations where you and your ex-partner already agree on how child support will work between you. If there's still something contested about the amount or arrangement, this isn't the right product yet - we'll tell you honestly and point you to a family lawyer who handles disputes.