Maintenance in a Family Law context may refer to Child Maintenance or Spouse/De Facto Maintenance.
Child Maintenance
As a general rule, following a separation children are financially supported by way of an administrative assessment by the child support branch of the Department of Human Services (DHS). Parents have an obligation to financially support their children to the extent that they are able to do so.
Administrative assessments take into account the amount of care each parent provides to the children and the respective incomes of the parents.
Spouse/De Facto Maintenance
In certain circumstances one party may be ordered to pay maintenance to financially support their former spouse or partner. Maintenance is generally designed to provide short-term assistance to a party so that they can re-establish themselves.
Contact us to discuss your particular situation with an experienced family lawyer.