A Question for CSA

(Recounting a real life exchange)

Here's a CSA Question for You All!

In regards the new legislation, how will the CSA view payment arrangements if there is 50/50 everything?

The reason I ask this is, I asked my CSA Mistress (a very young lady), this question: If I have my children for 50% of the time over the whole year, does that mean I don't have to pay child support?

Her answer was, NO! You may still have to pay child support.

I asked "Please Explain?"

She says that if the ex is still drawing money from Centrelink, then it is highly likely I will be required to continue to pay. I said, but I'm on a pension too!

She said, that has no bearing on what my responsibilities are when it comes to paying child support, only the amount I can afford.

I said you have just gone off the subject with your reply. I wasn't asking about responsibility.

So, what you are telling me is that if the ex draws money from Centrelink, regardless of what I am doing, I will pay child support, even if I have the children physically, with all the financial responsibilities that come with that as well, for 50% of the time.

She said yes!

I said, that is not child support!

That is spousal support, or a tax for the govt. to recoup some of it's expenditure.

I asked her if I would be getting any of the family tax benefits?

She said if you have the children for the 50%, then you should get that share of the benefits.

So, I said, why doesn't that follow through with child support?

She couldn't answer!

I ended the conversation.

This is going to be a can of worms, if we go down the 50/50 road and find we are still required to pay child support, on top of all the other expense.

Just one other question: if the mother has been given the lion's share in a property settlement, and within a year we have 50/50, what happens then?

Why should she be allowed to keep the lion's share, when it should then be split down the middle!

I hope someone can help me on these questions.