Family violence and commonwealth laws-child support and family assistance (ip 38)
Overview
There are complexities in relation to child support that are broader than the financial arrangements between the parties for the care of their children. Care arrangements and child support being so closely entwined does, we think, expand the environment in which the potential for family violence exists.
In relation to the above, the following recent initiatives have been announced or launched:
1. A "new national training package [Avert Family Violence: Collaborative
Responses in the Family Law System] to help professionals within the family violence system improve the way family violence is addressed". 2. A national register for domestic and family violence orders has been agreed by the Standing Committee of Attorneys-General to "implement a national scheme for domestic and family violence orders that will improve protection for victims of family violence". 3. A tender by the Commonwealth Attorney-General's Department for the development of a family violence screening and risk assessment tool has been recently released. 4. A Child Support Agency Family Violence Reference Group. The Issues Paper further considers a number of issues in relation to child support, including screening for family violence by the Child Support Agency; the requirement to take reasonable maintenance action, and exemptions granted due to family violence; collection of child support; and protection of personal information.

With respect to family assistance, the following issues, among others, are addressed: exemptions from Tax File Number requirements in cases of family violence; payment of Family Tax Benefit when a