A Recognised Authority on Child Support in Australia
Simon Bacon is one of the most recognised authorities on child support law in Australia. He was a leading child support lawyer for 35 years. Over decades Simon has built a depth of technical knowledge about child support assessments, the agency's processes and the legislation behind them that few people in the country can match. Today Simon is no longer a practising barrister and solicitor. At a fraction of what a practising barrister or solicitor would charge, Simon now uses his expertise as a child support advocate to help parents navigate a system that is far too complex for most people to face alone.
Simon's work sits squarely in the world of advocacy, advisory and specialist support. He is not a court litigator and does not represent parents in court proceedings. Instead, his focus is the administrative heart of the child support system — the assessments, objections, change of assessment applications and reviews that determine, in practical terms, how much child support a family pays or receives.
Decades in the Child Support System
The Australian child support scheme has evolved enormously since the Child Support (Assessment) Act 1989 first established the modern framework. The formula has been refined, the policy has shifted, and the body administering it has changed names and structures over the years — from the Child Support Agency to its place today within Services Australia. Simon has worked through these changes, and his understanding of how the system actually operates is grounded in long, hands-on experience rather than theory.
That experience covers the full breadth of child support matters: how assessments are built from taxable income and care percentages, where the formula tends to break down, how the agency exercises its discretion, what the change of assessment reasons really require, and how reviews are decided. Crucially, Simon understands the human side as well — the financial pressure, the frustration and the sense of powerlessness that so many parents feel when an assessment lands in their inbox and the figure simply does not make sense.
Simon's Advocacy Philosophy
At the core of Simon's work is a simple belief: parents deserve a fair go within a system that is heavily weighted towards process and formula. The child support scheme is administered at scale, and individual circumstances can easily be lost in the machinery. A parent whose income has collapsed, whose care arrangements have changed, or who is carrying costs the formula never anticipated can find themselves bound by a number that bears no relationship to their real life.
Simon's philosophy is to put the parent back at the centre. He levels the playing field by bringing genuine technical expertise to a parent's side of the table — the same depth of understanding the system itself relies on, now working for the individual rather than against them. He is parent-focused, practical and honest. If a case has merit, he will pursue it with rigour. If it does not, he will tell a parent plainly, so they do not waste time and energy chasing an outcome that is not realistically available.
This honesty matters. Child support is an area where false hope is easy to sell and hard to deliver on. Simon does not make outcome promises he cannot keep. What he offers instead is clarity: a clear-eyed assessment of where a parent stands, what their genuine options are, and the best way to put their case.
The Kinds of Matters Simon Assists With
Parents come to Simon with a wide range of child support concerns, including:
- Assessments that appear to be miscalculated or based on the wrong income
- Objections to decisions made by Services Australia
- Change of assessment applications based on special circumstances
- Situations where the other parent has reduced their income or earning capacity
- Self-employed or variable-income cases where the formula struggles
- High costs of spending time with a child, or special needs of a child
- Property settlements and financial resources that the standard formula overlooks
- Child support debts that have grown out of control
- Reviews of agency decisions, including escalation to the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART)
- The interaction between child support, tax and family assistance payments
In each case, Simon's role is to understand the parent's circumstances, identify the right pathway, and help build and present a case that meets the agency's criteria. You can read more about these pathways on the Child Support Disputes and Change of Assessment pages.
Media, Commentary and Thought Leadership
Because of his standing in the field, Simon is frequently sought out for his expertise on child support matters. He writes on child support topics and is quoted on the subject, contributing to the broader conversation about how the system works and how it could work better for families.
Simon has also shared his knowledge in a podcast setting, appearing as a guest on the Tax Talks podcast to discuss child support and its interactions with tax. The intersection of child support and tax is one of the most misunderstood areas for separated parents — income definitions, timing, and the flow-on effects to family payments all matter, and getting them wrong can be costly. Simon's willingness to explain these complexities in plain language reflects exactly the approach he brings to his advocacy work: take something genuinely difficult and make it understandable, so parents can make informed decisions.
This commentary presence is more than a credential. It reflects a genuine commitment to demystifying a system that too often leaves parents in the dark, and it is the same commitment that drives Simon's one-on-one work with the families who come to him for help.
Working With Simon
Engaging Simon Bacon as your child support advocate means having someone in your corner who genuinely understands the system — its rules, its quirks, its discretion and its pressure points. It means your case is put properly, your evidence is marshalled to meet the right criteria, and you are not left guessing about deadlines or the next step.
Most importantly, it means you no longer have to deal with Services Australia alone, armed only with frustration and a confusing letter. Simon brings calm, expertise and a clear plan.
If you would like to discuss your child support situation with Simon, the first step is a conversation. You can learn more about your options across this site, browse the FAQ, or simply call Simon Bacon on (02) 9137 4130 to talk it through.