SeparationSense
This is a planning estimate only — not financial or legal advice. For binding figures, contact Services Australia.
Updated for FY 2025–26

Separation means two households. See what both can afford.

We know this part is hard. SeparationSense makes the money side clearer — child support, government payments and living costs, for both homes at once, in plain English.

It's a private planning estimate: your figures stay on your device, and nothing here is financial or legal advice.

Child support
The Australian formula, all 8 steps shown.
Two-household cashflow
What each home actually has left each week.
Government support
FTB, Parenting Payment & Rent Assistance.
All integrated
Tax, child support & payments move together — that's the bit no single tool shows.

You'll need a rough idea of each person's income, the care arrangement (nights per fortnight), and your main costs and debts. Estimates are fine — change anything and it recalculates instantly.

Both parties

Yearly income before tax (salary plus any other taxable income). Before-super is fine. Add HECS/HELP under Debts & commitments, not here.
Yearly income before tax (salary plus any other taxable income). A rough figure is fine — change it anytime.
Of the 14 nights in a fortnight, how many the children are with this parent. This sets the care %, which drives both child support and Family Tax Benefit.

Debts & commitments

$
How a shared debt (a joint loan or card) is divided between the two households for this cashflow view. Only affects debts marked “joint”.

Use your bank statement

See your real spending — optional ▾

Guessing your budget is the hard part. Add a CSV bank statement and SeparationSense reads it entirely on your device — nothing is uploaded — to show what you actually spend, then fills it into a household. CSV only for now (every major Australian bank exports one).

Your statement is read in your browser and never sent anywhere. Categorisation is rule-based and may misclassify — review the figures before applying. CSV only for now; PDF support is planned.

Your householdOther parent's household

Your household

Covers itself
$646net surplus
Rent or mortgage repayment for this home. Choose “owned” if there's no ongoing housing payment.
$
Living costs
$
$
$
Government support · estimate
Family Tax Benefit A$81
Family Tax Benefit B$61
Rent Assistance$93

Estimate only — confirm entitlements with Services Australia.

Take-home income · from $3,654 gross$2,839
Government support$235
Housing−$1,100
Living costs−$698
Debts & commitments−$240
Child support paid−$390

Other parent's household

Covers itself
$1,328net surplus
Rent or mortgage repayment for this home. Choose “owned” if there's no ongoing housing payment.
$
Living costs
$
$
$
Government support · estimate
Family Tax Benefit A$245
Family Tax Benefit B$109
Parenting Payment (single)$474
Rent Assistance$165

Estimate only — confirm entitlements with Services Australia.

Take-home income · from $1,731 gross$1,544
Child support received$390
Government support$993
Housing−$900
Living costs−$698

Property & asset split

Home, super & assets — optional ▾

Add up everything to be divided — home equity, superannuation, savings — and see how a settlement splits, including how much is cash now versus super preserved until retirement. A simplified estimate, not legal advice or a property settlement.

The home
Your best estimate of the home's value. For confidence, get a free agent appraisal and enter it alongside. This is not a property valuation.
$
A real-estate agent's appraisal. When entered, it's used instead of your estimate.
$
$
The agent's selling commission as a percent of the sale price. Australian commissions are typically about 1.8–2.5%.
Conveyancing, marketing, styling, mortgage discharge and admin fees.
$
Superannuation & other assets
Superannuation is part of the asset pool but stays preserved in the super system until retirement — it's split by court order or agreement, not paid out as cash.
$
$
Savings, vehicles, shares and other investments to be divided (pooled).
$
Debts other than the mortgage that come out of the pool — credit cards, personal loans, car loans.
$
The target division of the whole net pool. A real settlement weighs each side's contributions and future needs (the 4-step process) — this is just the headline split to model.
Home equity (after selling costs)$379,400
Superannuation (both)$180,000
Other assets$30,000
Other debts−$15,000
Net asset pool$574,400
Your share · 50%
$287,200
Other parent's share · 50%
$287,200

31% of the pool is superannuation — preserved in the super system until retirement, not cash you can use now.

To reach this split, about $30,000 moves from You to Other parent — usually via a super split and/or a cash adjustment (assuming each keeps their own super and the home goes to whoever keeps it).

Model selling as a cashflow scenario
$
$
If a party invests their share of the proceeds instead of buying again, this adds investment income to their taxable income — the one thing about a sale that changes child support. Leave at 0 if it goes into a new home.

Estimate only — not a property valuation, tax advice, or a property settlement. A real Australian settlement follows a four-step process (identify & value the pool, weigh contributions, weigh future needs, check it's just & equitable); superannuation is split by court order or binding agreement and stays preserved in super. The main-residence capital gains exemption usually applies but not always. Speak to a family lawyer, and a conveyancer for any sale. Child support is income-and-care based, so an asset split changes it only if invested proceeds add taxable income.

Save & compare scenarios

Save snapshots of your situation and compare them side by side — for example, your set-up now versus 50/50 care, or before and after a pay rise. Change any input and every scenario updates.

💬 A plain-English “what-if” assistant is coming soon — ask questions like “what if we went 50/50?” and watch every figure update.

See it visually

The same figures as pictures — where the money flows, both households side by side across your scenarios, and how child support shifts as the children grow.

Money flow
Take-home $74kGovt support $6.1kHousing $29kLiving costs $18kDebts $6.2kChild support $10kSurplus $17k

Green flows in (income & support), grey flows out (costs); the right-hand surplus balances the picture. Annual figures.

Net position by scenario
You Other parent
$17k$35kCurrent

Net annual position for each household. Save scenarios above to compare them here.

Child support as the children grow$10k/yrUnder 13$12k/yr13 & over

On the same incomes and care, child support usually steps up when the youngest turns 13 (the legislated cost-of-children table increases), and ends as each child turns 18.

Where the money goes

Small changes with outsized effects, modelled across tax, child support and government support together. General information only — for tailored help, a financial counsellor is free (MoneySmart · 1800 007 007).

One more night a fortnight with the childrenYou +$3,764/yr · Other parent −$3,318/yr

Going from 5 to 6 nights changes care %, which moves both child support and Family Tax Benefit together. Modelled: Your yearly net rises by $3,764, Other parent's falls by $3,318.

An extra $1,000 of your income44% kept ($439 of $1,000)

After income tax, any change in child support, and reduced government support, about $439 of an extra $1,000 reaches your household. That combined effect is usually larger than tax alone — it's why a pay rise can feel smaller than expected.

An extra $1,000 of Other parent's income22% kept ($220 of $1,000)

After income tax, any change in child support, and reduced government support, about $220 of an extra $1,000 reaches Other parent's household. That combined effect is usually larger than tax alone — it's why a pay rise can feel smaller than expected.

Your biggest outgoing is housing45% of outgoings

Housing is about 45% of your spending ($28,600/yr). Small changes to the largest line move the net position most.

Other parent's biggest outgoing is housing56% of outgoings

Housing is about 56% of Other parent's spending ($23,400/yr). Small changes to the largest line move the net position most.

What happens when

Key financial dates and triggers. Information only — confirm anything binding with Services Australia.

  1. At separation
    Child support starts from when you apply

    Child support is payable from the date Services Australia receives an application — it isn't automatically backdated to the date you separated. Applying sooner rather than later matters.

  2. Each child support period
    Figures re-index (currently the 2026 child support period)

    The self-support amount and costs-of-children figures update each child support period. The assessed amount can move even if nothing in your situation changes.

  3. After 30 June (tax returns)
    Annual reassessment once both returns are lodged

    Child support is reassessed when both parents' taxable incomes for the year are known. Lodging late can hold up an accurate assessment for both households.

  4. After 30 June (Family Tax Benefit)
    FTB is balanced and the supplement is paid

    Once you confirm your income for the year, Services Australia balances your Family Tax Benefit — reconciling any over- or under-payment and paying the end-of-year supplement if you're eligible. Child support received is counted here via the Maintenance Income Test.

  5. When care or income changes
    Tell Services Australia promptly

    A material change in care nights or either parent's income can change both the child support assessment and any government support. Reporting it promptly keeps both households' figures right and avoids debts later.

Estimate only — not financial or legal advice. Take-home income is an FY 2025–26 tax estimate (excludes HECS/HELP, which is entered as a debt). Government support (FTB A/B, Parenting Payment, Rent Assistance) is estimated and includes the Maintenance Income Test — child support received reduces FTB Part A. Rates are current for 20 March 2026; your actual entitlement depends on your circumstances. For binding figures see Services Australia and MoneySmart. Feeling overwhelmed? A financial counsellor is free — 1800 007 007.

Common questions about separation finances

Plain-English answers to what people ask most. General information only — not financial or legal advice.

How is child support calculated in Australia?
Child support uses the Services Australia eight-step formula. It's based on both parents' incomes and the care arrangement (nights per fortnight) — not on assets or who keeps the house. SeparationSense shows all eight steps so you can see exactly where the figure comes from.
Will I pay child support, or receive it?
It depends on each parent's share of the combined income versus their share of the care. The parent with the higher income relative to their care usually pays. Enter both incomes and the nights split above and the calculator shows who pays whom, and how much.
Can we both afford to live in two separate households?
That's the core question SeparationSense is built to answer. It models each household's weekly cashflow — take-home income, child support, government support, housing, debts and living costs — and tells you whether each home covers itself or runs a shortfall, so you can plan before anything is locked in.
Does child support count as income for Family Tax Benefit?
Yes — through the Maintenance Income Test. Child support you receive can reduce your Family Tax Benefit Part A down towards the base rate. This is one of the most commonly missed interactions, and the calculator includes it automatically.
Does selling the house change child support?
Not directly. Child support is income-and-care based, not asset based, so a property settlement or house sale doesn't change it on its own. It only flows through if it changes someone's taxable income (for example, investment income on the proceeds) or the care arrangement. The cashflow side, of course, changes a lot — which is why the two are modelled together.
Is my information private?
Yes. Your figures stay on your device — names, incomes and costs are never sent to us or stored on a server. You can export a copy as a file if you want to keep or move it. More in the Privacy Policy.
Is this financial or legal advice?
No. SeparationSense gives planning estimates only — not financial product advice, not legal advice, and not a Services Australia assessment. Use it to understand the moving parts, then confirm anything binding with Services Australia, a family lawyer, or a free financial counsellor (MoneySmart · 1800 007 007). See Find help.