Parenting arrangements and child support payments are linked. The child support guidelines are used for calculating child support payments, with tables indicating how much each parent must pay every month (if anything).

     How child support is worked out
The basic amount is called a table amount. This is based on the paying parent’s pre-tax annual income, where the paying parent lives, and how many children they are paying support for.

The table amounts are based on typical situations where there is one parent that has the children most of the time, and the other parent pays. Child support mathematics are really complicated, so getting help in working out payments is recommended.

     When custody is split or shared
Child support might work differently if custody is split or shared, however the formula is not definitive. Support may be paid from one parent to another even with these custody arrangements. This can lead to confusion when one parent – believing they have access to child support payments – actually ends up paying the other parent. Be cautious with your requests!

The situation whereby one parent can unexpectedly be made to pay the other can happen because the payment amount is based on annual income, typically for the previous tax year. If each parent (for example) has one child living with them, the child support amount is based on income for what each parent would pay for the child in their custody.

The difference is then the child support payment amount. (It’s called the ‘set-off’ amount.)

     When both parents’ earn the same amount in split or shared custody
There will often be no set-off amount to pay because it is equal, however extra custody-related expenses could be considered.