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Child Support Act 1991

Assessment of child support and domestic maintenance - Minimum rate of child support or domestic maintenance

72: Minimum rate of child support or domestic maintenance

You could also call this:

"The law sets the lowest amounts you must pay for child support and helping ex-partners"

Illustration for Child Support Act 1991

The law sets minimum amounts for child support and domestic maintenance payments. Here's what you need to know:

For child support calculated by a formula, the lowest amount a parent has to pay for all their children is $871 per year. This amount started in April 2013 and goes up each year based on inflation.

If parents make their own agreement about child support, they must pay at least $520 per year in total for all their children.

For domestic maintenance, which is money paid to support a former partner, the minimum amount is also $520 per year.

These minimum amounts apply even if a court order or an agreement between people says a lower amount should be paid.

The Commissioner, who is in charge of managing child support, must use these minimum amounts when working out how much people should pay.

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This page was last updated on

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM254334.

Topics:
Family and relationships > Children and parenting
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Part 5Assessment of child support and domestic maintenance
Minimum rate of child support or domestic maintenance

72Minimum rate of child support or domestic maintenance

  1. The minimum annual rate at which the Commissioner shall assess—

  2. child support payable under a formula assessment by a liable parent in respect of all of his or her children is,—
    1. for the child support year commencing on 1 April 2013, $871:
      1. for each later child support year, the minimum annual rate of child support under this paragraph for the immediately preceding child support year, adjusted by the applicable inflation percentage:
      2. child support payable by a liable parent to a receiving carer under 1 or more voluntary agreements providing for payments to be made in respect of 1 or more children shall be, in the aggregate, $520 in respect of those children:
        1. domestic maintenance shall be $520.

          1. Subsection (1) applies notwithstanding anything to the contrary in any order of the court or in any voluntary agreement.

          Notes
          • Section 72 heading: amended, on , by section 3 of the Child Support Amendment Act 2005 (2005 No 6).
          • Section 72(1)(a): replaced, on , by section 14(1) of the Child Support Amendment Act 2013 (2013 No 12).
          • Section 72(1)(b): amended, on , by section 14(2) of the Child Support Amendment Act 2013 (2013 No 12).
          • Section 72(1)(c): amended, on , by section 3 of the Child Support Amendment Act 2005 (2005 No 6).