U.S. Citizen Services
Child Custody Issues
Child Custody
Legal custody of minor children must be adjudicated by a court, and finalized by way of an official court decree. The U.S. Embassy is unable to provide legal advice to U.S. citizens abroad, including parents seeking custody of their children. Please refer to our list of Attorneys who have made themselves known to our office for legal assistance in obtaining custody of your children.
Child Support
Claims for child support payments need to be assessed by the relevant child support agency where the child is resident. Australia and the United States have a bilateral agreement to enforce child support payments for parents resident in their country when the child is abroad.
For children resident in Australia
- Please contact the Child Support Agency to initiate a claim for child support payments.
- The Child Support Agency also provides a range of Information Sheets regarding Australia specific child support issues.
For children resident in the United States
- Please contact the child support agency for the U.S. state your child is resident in.
- For additional information regarding international child support agreements, please refer to the Department of State’s information regarding Child Support.