Child Support Care % Table Australia 2026
How many nights per year equals 50/50 care? What about every second weekend? Care percentage determines who pays child support and how much.
The Four Critical Care Thresholds
This guide provides the official child support care percentage table used by Services Australia in 2026. You'll learn how to convert nights per year into care percentages, understand the critical thresholds, and see exactly how care affects your child support calculation.
Services Australia uses this table to convert the number of nights each parent has the children into a care percentage. This percentage then determines how child support is calculated. Understanding this is crucial for router.push('/blog/how-to-calculate-child-support')} > calculating your child support accurately
How to Count Nights Correctly
Care percentage isn't just a number—specific thresholds dramatically change how child support is calculated. Understanding these thresholds is crucial for planning care arrangements. Learn more about router.push('/blog/shared-care-5050-child-support')} > 50/50 shared care arrangements
Services Australia has specific rules for counting nights. Getting this wrong can result in an incorrect assessment.
Common Care Arrangements Explained
Here's how typical care arrangements translate into nights per year and care percentages.
Care percentage affects child support through the "cost percentage" calculation. Here's how it works:
How Care Percentage Affects Your Child Support
Care arrangements often change over time. Here's what you need to know about updating your child support assessment.
Either parent can apply for a care change assessment. You'll need evidence of the actual care arrangement—calendars, school records, or written agreements. If you notify Services Australia within 28 days of the change, the new assessment will apply from the date the care actually changed.
What Happens When Care Arrangements Change?
What if you and the other parent disagree about the care arrangement? Or Services Australia's assessment doesn't match reality?
Understanding care percentage is crucial for accurate child support calculations. Use our calculator to see exactly how your care arrangement affects your payments.
Disputing Care Percentage Assessments
Frequently Asked Questions
Key Takeaways
Frequently Asked Questions
How many nights is 50/50 care in Australia?
50/50 care (equal shared care) is 182.5 nights per year for each parent. In practice, this is usually 182 or 183 nights. This equals exactly 50% care for child support purposes.
What is the 14% care threshold in child support?
The 14% care threshold (52 nights per year) is when your care percentage starts reducing your child support liability. Below 14%, you pay full child support with no cost offset. At 14% or above, your cost percentage begins to reduce the amount you pay.
Do school holidays count towards care percentage?
Yes. Care percentage is calculated over the entire year, including school holidays. If you have your children during school holidays, those nights are added to your total annual care calculation. This is why many parents have different care percentages than they expect.
What happens if actual care differs from the assessment?
Either parent can apply to Services Australia to update the assessment when actual care differs from what's assessed. The change must be expected to last at least 26 weeks. If you notify within 28 days of the change, the new assessment applies from the date care actually changed. Keep accurate records as you'll need to prove the difference.
Can I negotiate care percentage with the other parent?
You can agree on a care arrangement with the other parent, but Services Australia will assess based on the actual pattern of care, not what you agree to on paper. If you want a specific care percentage for child support purposes, you need to actually provide that level of care.
Calculate Your Child Support
Use our free 2026 calculator to get an instant, accurate estimate based on the official Services Australia formula.
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