When does child support stop?
Child support doesn't automatically run until a child is independent. An assessment ends on a specific trigger — most commonly the child's 18th birthday — and if you want it to continue past that point, you generally have to apply before it happens.
The default: the 18th birthday
An administrative assessment for a child ends when that child turns 18. If there are other children on the same assessment, the assessment continues for them, but the annual rate is recalculated because the costs of the children change when the number of children changes.
Extending to the end of the school year
Where a child turns 18 while still in full-time secondary education, a parent can apply for the assessment to continue until the last day of the school year. The critical detail is timing: the application generally has to be made before the child's 18th birthday. Miss that window and the assessment ends, even if the child is midway through Year 12.
Other events that end an assessment
| Event | Effect |
|---|---|
| Child marries or enters a de facto relationship | Assessment ends for that child |
| Child is adopted | Assessment ends for that child |
| Child or a parent dies | Assessment ends |
| Child stops being an Australian resident | Assessment may end, depending on where the child and parents live |
| Care changes so the payer has the child full time | Assessment may end or reverse direction |
Adult child maintenance is a separate thing
Child support and adult child maintenance are different systems. Once the administrative assessment ends, a parent can apply to the court for adult child maintenance, but only in narrow circumstances: where the payments are necessary to enable the child to complete their education, or because of a mental or physical disability. It is a court application, not a Services Australia assessment, and it is not granted routinely.
Arrears survive the end of an assessment
Ending an assessment stops future liability — it does not wipe what is already owed. Services Australia can continue to pursue outstanding child support debt after the assessment has ended, including through employer deductions, tax refund interception and departure prohibition orders. Debt doesn't expire when the child turns 18.
Estimate your child support →This is general information about how the child support system works, not legal or financial advice. For advice about your own circumstances, speak to Services Australia or a family lawyer.