Divorced parents and custody issues

[Silent Sufferer]

so my parents have been split for i dont no how many years i think i was six at the time, anyway my mum is changing the cutody from 70% her 30% dad. How does this change with the money for child support or whatever, coz i already cost my mother enough but i dont want to put more stress on her coz i no atm she is already struggling ith bills and im goin into yr 12 nxt year and so with my ball i no she is gonna b in even more shit. Anyways does my dad legaly ave to pay anything to my mum if she gets 100% custody of me? or does he no longer have any legal obligation to look after me by any means??

Has anybody else gone through a divorce and had their parents change the custody after so many years of being split? Oh and i am now 16 and from Australia, so it has been about 10 years since they split!

[workingatperfect]

My parents never changed the custody agreement after their divorce, but your dad will have to pay child support until you're an adult, or depending on the agreement, until you finish college. My mom has full custody of me and my dad has open visitation. It may be slightly different there, but as far as I know, changing that wouldn't affect it unless her lawyer wanted to try to raise it.

[DerBear]

I am pretty sure he has to pay a percentage or fixed amount in child support to your mother as he has legal obligations because he is the father. He should have to pay you/your mother until you are the age of 16.

I am not sure of any other legal required benefits. But by law he is more or less forced to pay it. However, I don't know how much and I don't know how you'd go about getting it if you weren't already getting it. It would be something you'd have to bring up with your mother.

[Noirtier]

Typically, when a divorce occurs, the father will have to continue to pay child support to the mother (or the other way around, depending on which parent is primarily raising the child) until the child is an adult, reaching the age of 18. I'm not sure if it's the same or different in Australia, but in the US the father can also be responsible for paying part of the child's college education. Your mother getting full custody of you shouldn't change the amount she receives from your father in child support in the slightest, you should be fine. If the money stops coming, your mom will be able to go to her lawyer and they will take your father to court, because he is legally obligated to pay that money in child support. I know you're worried about things, but I wouldn't sorry about your mother, really. I think it will work out to be just fine, you just will have to trust your mother and that she and her lawyer know what they are doing.

[Silent Sufferer]

Thanx soo much for your help I serious appreciate it. I just wanted to know if it was gonna make it harder on my mum finacncially so thanx again :) I am mentally sending you all hugs for your help :)

[vif859]

Do you agree with the decision to change the arrangement? Will you have a chance to give your input?

[Silent Sufferer]

thanx soo much for your help and yeah mum mum wasnt gonna change the aggeeement unless i didnt want to go to my dads, and if I decide that I don't want to then she said that she'll contact her laywer and centerlink and get it sorted out. My mum said that it was up to me if the custody was to get changed coz atm I lve with my mum 70% of the time and my dad 30% but my sister is with my dad 70% and my mum 30% but i dont no if it will change my sisters custody with my parents coz she has now just finished school so the child allowance thing is gonna end forher when she turns 18.