Child support if you have 50-50 care

[LimeSlice]

Where are you located that you are paying over $500 for after school care? That seems outrageously over the top.

Perhaps you need to sit down with him and discuss the situation. Look at moving her schools, changing after care arrangements more in line with your means. It may be a better starting point than unsuspectingly hitting him with CSA assessment.

[Catastrophic]

Yes you will be able to get some financial assistance in means of child support. I sympathise my child are is just as high as yours it ridiculous!

[Karina]

I can claim CCB/CCTR for the after/before school care but at the moment I can't claim it as reduced fees. FAO said I can only start claiming it as reduced fees when the new financial year starts... so i have to wait until july for that, and until then, I have to pay the full fees.

Yes, the fees are absolutely ridiculous.. I live in Sydney. The fees have pretty much doubled compared to last year - something about all the extra stuff that the council made them do so they could keep running the after school care. In all honesty, they are absolutely excellent (but sooo expensive), and its the ONLY one in the suburb so I don't really have other options. There is one other place about 15 minutes drive away which she used to go to but she didn't really like going there and they will not do before school care for students at my daughters school.

I do shift work, including weekends and on-call. I'm trying to negotiate more regular working hours with my boss (at my main job) but as usual, double standards apply - they allow other people their certain days or certain shifts but I'm not allowed to have it despite pleading with them and explaining my situation. I'm out of there as soon as I can get another job with better hours or if my 2nd job turns into something more permanent.

Believe me, I'd move somewhere cheaper in a heartbeat but at the moment cannot because my ex wont budge. I've discussed this with him and he has stated basically that he will apply to have full custody of our daughter if I move away (i would need to move fairly far out to afford to live independently). I'm sure he'll work out a way that he could get that if I were to move away. I just cant risk it.