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New Zealand law explained for everyone

Social Security Act 2018

Factors affecting benefits - Factors affecting benefits - Factors affecting eligibility for benefit: shared care of dependent child

196: Rules for assessing which parent has greater responsibility for dependent child

You could also call this:

“How to figure out which parent takes care of a child more”

When deciding which parent has greater responsibility for a child, the main thing to look at is how much time the child spends with each parent. After that, you need to think about a few other things.

You should consider who makes decisions about what the child does each day. You also need to think about who takes the child to and from school, and who looks after the child during free time.

It’s important to look at who makes choices about the child’s education and health care. You should also think about how the child’s needs are paid for. This includes looking at which parent pays for different things the child needs.

All of these things help decide which parent has more responsibility for the child. This decision is important for working out if someone can get help from the government.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM6783516.

Topics:
Family and relationships > Children and parenting
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Part 4 Factors affecting benefits
Factors affecting benefits: Factors affecting eligibility for benefit: shared care of dependent child

196Rules for assessing which parent has greater responsibility for dependent child

  1. For the purposes of deciding under section 195(3)(a) which parent has greater responsibility for the child, MSD must have regard primarily to the time that the child is in the care of each parent and then to the following factors:

  2. how the responsibility for decisions about the daily activities of the child is shared; and
    1. who is responsible for taking the child to and from school and supervising that child's leisure activities; and
      1. how decisions about the education or health care of the child are made; and
        1. the financial arrangements for the child's material support; and
          1. which parent pays for which expenses of the child.

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