Child support if you have 50-50 care

Hi, I'm trying to work out if I can apply for child support. My daughter is nearly 7 and her dad and I have been separated for nearly 2 years. Divorce will be finalised in a month. I work 2 jobs and still earn 45,000-50,000/year less than what my ex earns, so a pretty significant difference in our incomes. Our daughter is with me 4 nights a week and with him 3 nights. We have each been paying 50% of school fees, after school care costs etc. I'm really struggling financially to be able to pay for stuff like board, bills, school fees, after school care, petrol (so that I can go to work). I am now living with my parents as I just cant afford to live on my place. And just got my before/after school care invoice - $505 for 1.5 weeks (so my 50% share would be 250 for the 1.5 weeks.... the fees have doubled since last year and she is still going the same number of days!!) I don't spend money on going out. I ride my bike to the supermarket so I don't have to use fuel!!

Can i still apply for (and actually be eligible for) child support?? or not because we share the costs for her already? I'm not really finding the info I want on the CSA and human services websites.

Hmm tough situation! If you earn that much less than your ex you would definitely be eligible for child support. It will be a significant amount if he earns good money.
However you have a current arrangement so maybe best to chat with ex first? Perhaps you could ask for a 75/25 split? I would say that would still be better for him rather than child support. I am in a very similar situation, we have a private arrangement whereby ex pays me a monthly amount plus we split the cost of big stuff. He is hassling me to just split all costs but child support estimate is a significant amount per month and as much as he doesn't like it, the CSA takes into account that Mums lost income and career progression and thus equal pay, when they stayed at home to look after babies.
Personally I don't entirely agree with the way CSA calculate child support but I also think you are definitely entitled to more than what you are currently getting. Good luck.

yes, you are entitled to claim child support - and you will be granted child support under the circumstances you described
call CSA tomorrow and get the process started. :)

Thanks for your replies girls. I'll give them a call tomorrow before i go to work. I'm feeling frustrated because at present, her dad will only contribute 50%, and while I can kinda see why, I'm also in a position where I cant comfortably provide my daughter with what she needs.. who can afford $250/week in after school care fees?? How am I meant to eat?? (while her dad is doing renovations and planning an overseas holiday!!)

Is there an assets test for child support, or just an income test?

Just be aware that he may not then pay anything (at all) above the mandated child support amount. This happened to a friend of mine - she was actually worse off in $$$ terms. Also, are you claiming CCB/CCR for the care?

Nope it's just income based.
Have you asked him to consider changes? Try to put forward a fairer proposal?
I can assure you that 50/50 costs is not fair and reasonable.

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.

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!

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.