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Adult child maintenance for over-18s

Find out when an adult child can get financial support and how to arrange payments.

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Children over 18 may need financial support while they study or because they have an illness or disability. This support is called adult child maintenance.

These issues can be difficult for families. If you need legal advice or other support, go to Other support for parenting arrangements. 

This information applies to all families and family structures.

About adult child maintenance

Child support usually ends when a child turns 18. In some circumstances, a parent may still need to financially support their adult child. This is called adult child maintenance.

Maintenance is money to help pay for day-to-day living and study costs, like housing, food and textbooks.

For more information, go to Child support when your child turns 18 on the Services Australia website.

Who can get adult child maintenance

A child who is over 18 can get adult child maintenance if they:

  • are completing secondary or tertiary education – they are at high school, TAFE, university, or a course at a private college (apprenticeships may also be included)
  • have a serious illness
  • have a physical or mental disability.

An adult child who is receiving Centrelink payments such as Youth Allowance and Austudy can still apply for adult child maintenance.

An adult child cannot get adult child maintenance if they are married or living in a de facto relationship.

Work out how much should be paid

The amount of maintenance depends on:

  • the adult child’s ‘necessary expenses’ (explained below)
  • each parent’s financial position, including how much they can earn
  • how much money a parent needs to support themselves and other people they are responsible for.

Necessary expenses

Necessary expenses include:

  • the adult child’s share of food, household supplies, utilities, housing and transport
  • study costs, such as books, internet fees and computer equipment
  • TAFE fees, but not HECS and other government loans
  • medical costs, including dental, optical, doctor visits and prescriptions.

Medical costs are considered after any payments from Medicare or private health insurance.

Maintenance can also cover clothing, toiletries, hairdressing, car and phone expenses.

Entertainment and social expenses are generally not included.

Arranging adult child maintenance

Make an agreement

If the parents agree, or the adult child and paying parent agree, you can make an agreement yourselves.

You can agree on:

  • how much maintenance will be paid
  • when payments will be made.

If you can, get legal advice before making an agreement.

Put your agreement in writing and submit it to the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia. The court will turn your agreement into a court order.

Apply to court if you cannot agree

You may need to try family dispute resolution first before you apply to court. Family dispute resolution is a type of mediation designed for separated families.

Go to Using family dispute resolution to learn more.

If family dispute resolution is not suitable, or you still cannot agree, you can apply to the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia.

A parent or adult child can apply for an adult child maintenance order.

You can apply:

  • when the child is 17, for payments to start when they turn 18
  • after the child turns 18.

Getting maintenance payments

How payments are collected depends on who the court order is between.

If the court order is between both parents, you can register the order with Services Australia (Child Support). This lets Services Australia collect payments from one parent and transfer them to the other for the adult child.

If the court order is between the adult child and a parent, it cannot be registered with Services Australia. The paying parent must pay the adult child privately, as set out in the court order.

If you are concerned that a parent will not pay the maintenance, it is a good idea for the order to be made between both parents. This way Services Australia (Child Support) can help enforce payments.

When maintenance payments can end

The court can decide that adult child maintenance ends:

  • on a particular date
  • when the conditions of the court order are no longer met.

For example, maintenance may end if the adult child:

  • finishes or stops their education
  • does not meet study requirements in the order
  • no longer has the illness or disability that made the maintenance necessary.

The parent or adult child must tell the paying parent if there are changes to the adult child’s education, illness or disability.

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