Financial Support

Spousal Maintenance

Spousal maintenance is an obligation that one partner might have to maintain the other financially after separation or divorce if their ex-partner cannot support themselves.

Spousal maintenance is a separate and distinctly different matter from child maintenance and support. Any entitlements you may have to financial support from your former partner will depend on your respective financial situations.

When we meet with you we will discuss spousal maintenance so that you understand your options and can start to make decisions about the future.

You can read more about spousal maintenance in our blog. 

Child support

After separation arrangements for the financial support of children needs to be considered. When we meet with you we will take you through the various options you have relating to child support. We will discuss with you informal child support arrangements, child support under the child support system and child support agreements. 

You can read more about arranging child support in our blog. 

Adult Child Maintenance

Once a child turns 18 or finishes high school child support typically ends, sometimes however a child who is over 18 may require ongoing financial support from a parent if the child:

• is completing their secondary or tertiary education – they are at high school, TAFE, university, or a course at a private college (apprenticeships may also be included)
• has a serious illness
• has a physical or mental disability.

This is called adult child maintenance. An adult child who is married or living in a de-facto relationship is not able to get adult child maintenance. We can advise you about adult child maintenance. 

Got a question about family financial support?

Call us today on (03) 7002 6222 or send us an email enquiry.