How Does Shared Care Affect Child Support in Australia?

Child support isn’t just about income — it’s also about how much time each parent spends caring for the child. In Australia, shared care can significantly affect how much child support is paid or received.

So how does it work when both parents are actively involved in day-to-day parenting?

What Is Shared Care?

Shared care refers to situations where both parents have the child in their care for a significant amount of time — not necessarily 50/50, but enough that the responsibilities and costs are more evenly shared.

The amount of care is measured in nights per year and is used to calculate each parent’s contribution.

How Care Percentages Are Calculated

Services Australia places parents into care percentage brackets:

More than primary care: 314–365 nights per year, Care Percentage (86–100%)

Primary care: 238–313 nights per year, Care Percentage (65–86%)

Shared care: 128–237 nights per year, Care Percentage (35–65%)

Regular care: 52–127 nights per year, Care Percentage (14–35%)

No care: 0–51 nights per year, Care Percentage (0%)

The more nights a parent provides care, the less child support they may have to pay — because they’re already contributing through hands-on support (housing, meals, transport, etc.).

Example:

If one parent cares for the child 60% of the time and the other 40%, both may still have a child support obligation, but the amount will be adjusted to reflect the difference in care and income.

What If Care Changes?

If your parenting schedule shifts — even slightly — it’s important to update Services Australia. Even a change of just a few nights could move you into a different care category and change the assessment.

You can also dispute a care determination if you believe the official records don’t reflect reality.

Key Takeaway

Child support is based not only on what you earn, but how much direct care you provide. If you’re sharing parenting time, make sure your care percentage is up to date — it can make a big difference in what’s fair for both parents and the child.