Scenario Calculator Guide
Child Support Shared Care Calculator Australia
Shared care can change child support quickly because each shift in nights affects the care percentage and cost percentage built into the Services Australia formula.
Use the main calculator when both parents care for the child for part of the year and you want to understand what happens before or after the 35% shared care threshold.
What changes the result
- Care percentage matters as much as income once each parent has regular overnight care.
- A small change in nights can move a case across a threshold and materially change the annual transfer amount.
- Shared care disputes are one of the most common reasons a private estimate and a formal outcome differ.
Run the full child support calculator
Use the main calculator to test this scenario with your own income, care, and family structure.
Open the calculatorRelated guides
Frequently asked questions
Does shared care mean no one pays child support?
No. In many shared care cases the higher-income parent still pays because the formula compares income share against cost percentage.
Why does 35% care matter?
Around 35% care is where Services Australia begins treating care as shared for formula purposes, which changes the cost percentage applied to the case.