Our interview with Child Support expert, Crystal Paduch - Founder and Director of Child Support Consultants

In this episode, we are honored to interview Child Support expert, Crystal Paduch - Founder and Director of Child Support Consultants.
She answers such questions as;
- How do you support an individual with their Child Support Matters?
- Do you believe a parent can self navigate and represent themselves in child support cases specially when it’s going through the courts?
- What advice would you give someone who is in the period of separation when it comes to child support and how should they conduct themselves before the court and towards an ex partner?
- What’s the best approach to take when a partner continues to lie about income or lie about your own personal treatment of a child?

Crystal is the visionary founder and driving force behind Child Support Consultants. Crystal's journey in the realm of Child Support spans over 14 years, from her early days working within Child Support to her unwavering commitment to creating a positive change in the lives of parents and children alike.
Whether you're personally facing matters surrounding Child Support, or know someone who is, this podcast will give you some great wisdom and insights from a real expert in this area.
Make sure you check out Child Support Consultants website here - https://childsupportconsultants.com.au/ complete the contact form, and book in for a free 15 minute call with her team to discuss your specific matter.

Got a question for our podcast or do you need to contact Simon and the Down Under Investigations team? Simply email info@downunderinvestigations.com or call 1300849007 or check out www.downunderinvestigations.com

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Hi. Welcome to the latest podcast episode of Down Under Investigations The Truth. We discuss all things private investigation, process, serving , skip tracing and surveillance. You'll hear all about legal issues, cutting edge techniques, latest news and accurate information about our exciting industry. Let's join our host, Simon.

Speaker 2: 0:22

Today we're gonna take a deep dive into the realm of child support 'cause at down on investigations. As you know, we work alongside parents who face difficult challenges in the child support space. We've consistently worked with parents when needed to locate maybe an evasive spouse, serve important court documents or conduct surveillance perhaps when a parent's mistreating a child. One of the , uh, great colleagues is an agency called Child Support Consultants. And today we have the privilege of speaking with Crystal Puch , who's the director and founder. Crystal is an expert in the area of child support and passionate about getting the best outcome for the children. Crystal's career in child support began in 2009, and it continued until 2021 when she established child support consultants. Crystal has distinguished herself with her remarkable communication skills, and she has consistently achieved exceptional collection results for the child in need of support. Before founding child Support Consultants, her journey began with child support landscape and it gave her a firsthand glimpse into the challenges parents face in legally complex and emotionally charged situations. So with this insight, it sparked the realization that there's a need for an intermediary or a representative who can engage in the child support of on behalf of Parents for Children. Thus, child Support Consultants was born becoming a beacon of support and understanding for parents, navigating the complexities of child support, Crystal's dedication and passion, and her unwavering commitment to vulnerable customers has propelled child support consultants into existence, creating a safe space where families can find clarity, resolution, and hope amidst challenges of life's transitions. So, welcome Crystal Puch .

Speaker 3: 2:18

Hi Simon. Thanks for having me.

Speaker 2: 2:19

You are welcome. Thanks for being on. We are really excited to hear your insights and wisdom around the child support space. Um, so maybe tell us a bit about yourself. How did you come into the field of child support right at the beginning and become a child support consultant?

Speaker 3: 2:35

Yeah, sure. Um, so as you , I guess you said in your intro there , um, I worked for the Child Support Agency for quite some time and then founded Child Support Consultants to help people who were struggling with the , um, complex nature of the child support system and , uh, provide them with representation, particularly for the people who are feeling , um, or finding, communicating with child support, overwhelming or challenging. And from there, my business has really just grown into different areas , um, and our services have evolved since then as well.

Speaker 2: 3:04

That's fantastic. And as a consultant, do you give more practical advice or more mental or emotional support and advice, or is it a bit of a combination?

Speaker 3: 3:14

Um, I would say practical, so practical ways for people to best manage their child support in the way that is most likely to create , uh, and sustain suitable financial support for their kids , uh, with longevity in mind. By that I mean we provide tailored guidance , uh, support information and assistance to people , um, dependent on the stage in which they're , they approach my office. So while we may provide , uh, be providing and explaining child support options to people who are newly separated or creating and executing a child support agreement for them, we might on the other hand be providing assistance with , um, objections or appeals or corrections of assessments , um, that are incorrect for others who may have been separated for some time and already in the system and struggling to navigate their options on their own. Um, I do find, however, that many of our clients do feel some form, I suppose, of emotional comfort too , um, with having someone support them through those sort of challenging situations that they have relating to child support , uh, that can be quite overwhelming for them to go through a loan also.

Speaker 2: 4:20

That's fantastic. I guess you're not a trained counselor as such, but having someone to ask those questions and to point , um, in that emotionally charged situation to point a parent in the right direction and give advice and wisdom and expertise would give them emotional comfort knowing that they've got you on their side. So yeah, that's , yeah. Do you believe a parent can self navigate, like do it yourself in regards to child support cases? Um, how complex are the courts? Are they easy for a person to navigate by themselves?

Speaker 3: 4:55

Well, people often do. So people can self represent through child support applications to the court, and often they do due to the expense that is generally attached with legal assistance and representation. Um, so I've found that there is a gap group, or I suppose a cohort of people who , uh, can't afford to engage in legal representation. However, they also don't meet the means and merits testing criteria for free. Um, you know , fee free legal assistant through legal aid. So this is the, excuse me , cohort of people that I find will generally get in touch with my office as we provide a more, I suppose, cost effective service for people that are happy to self represent through court appearances, however, require assistance with obtaining the correct forms and completing them correctly and serving the documents for their court matter. Uh, but yes, I do believe people are generally always best to engage with a professional before applying to the courts. Um, and with our services, you can upgrade this service to include a lawyer to represent them , um, at their hearing at an additional cost if that's what they need. But certainly you can self represent, but I would advise getting some advice or assistance with , um, getting to the stage of, of , of appearing before the court's first.

Speaker 2: 6:07

Okay. That sounds , uh, very good. So if someone's already gone down the court process, they've already done it themselves and they realize they haven't got the outcome they want, can they then still contact someone like yourself?

Speaker 3: 6:20

They can, yes. So if they've already initiated a court pro process and they feel uncomfortable, I guess , um, you know, proceeding with it or if they've already had an outcome from it, but they don't feel that that was correct , um, then yes, you can still get back in contact with this because it could , 'cause it could be simply that you have made an application that , um, you weren't seeking the correct orders or there could have been something , um, in relation to the, the documents that you filed or the content in your affidavit and things like that. So we can re-look at your matter and give you guidance as to what the best next step would be for you in that situation.

Speaker 2: 6:54

Oh , brilliant. And what's the number one thing that the courts would consider when it comes to child support and child support, custody and payments and those sorts of things? What do the courts look for?

Speaker 3: 7:05

Yeah. Well, with court matters pertaining to children's living arrangements and time spent with both parents , um, is really a separate matter to child support. Although obviously this intertwines somewhat, this is not the type of matter that my office would be providing assistance with these matters, we would refer , um, you to our legal connections for those types of matters. But in relation to child support matters , um, the general expectation is that a person would exhaust their options for review of a matter directly with the child support register first, so that being Services Australia child support first before seeking action through the courts. So the child support system was implemented in part to minimize the amount of child support matters being brought before the courts back in the late eighties. Um, and most issues people have with their child support cases or assessments can be rectified without the need to go to court. So what we essentially do is provide representation to our clients so we can liaise directly with child support on their behalf and , uh, fix these issues they are having or provide guidance to them on how they can apply for reviews, objections, escalate complaints and appeals to the , um, the administrative appeals tribunal, the A A T. Um, and we provide representation through a a t hearings first, which really is the step or the last step a child a client should be taking prior to appealing to the courts for a child support related matter. Um, so if a client believes their assessment is incorrect, they can lodge an application for a review or object to that decision that the child support register has made , um, and then finally appeal to the a a T for another review. And the a a t can overturn , um, commonwealth decisions such as child support decisions. And then once you get through that point, that's really the stage you would be applying to the courts in relation to a child support related matter. Um, the matters that you would bring to the courts directly would be in relation more to parentage. And they're mainly the ones that we see here at our office is either, I suppose a father who is being assessed in respect for the costs of the , of a child, but they don't believe that they are the father of the child. Wow . Um , that matter need to go directly to the courts or all the other. On the other hand, it could be a mother who's trying to register a case for child support , um, but does not have enough evidence to show that the person they believe this is the father is the father. So the case has been , um, rejected or refused by the child support register, so they will need to go to the courts directly as well. So those types of cases are usually the ones that we find , um, come to us and we assist them with those processes. Um, the other ones, you generally would go through that pro that internal process first and , um, appeal that decision to the a A t and then if you're still not satisfied on legal grounds, you can appeal the Appeals tribunal decision to the courts. Um, you know, and then a again, with collection, that's, that's probably another big one is the , um, the issue a lot of people have with the lack of collection power child support have. But what a lot of people don't, don't know is that the child support registrar can initiate court proceedings on a receiving parent's behalf as well. Um, if the, if they meet that criteria to be able to be referred to their litigation team. Of course,

Speaker 2: 10:13

That's brilliant. So not only do you help with knowing how to lodge something, but you'll also know what the courts are specifically looking for, what evidence a parent should be providing to the court as far as , uh, all sorts of matters that you've just discussed. So that's where, you know, we've found that you guys are absolutely brilliant and able to help , uh, clients and, and parents that really feel a bit lost in that space of child support. So what's some of the wins that you've had? Tell us about some of your more memorable , uh, cases and files you've worked on.

Speaker 3: 10:50

I would say my favorite wins are the ones that really have , um, a profoundly positive outcome for the children of the case. So if that means the kids will receive more financial support , um, the outcome may result in building a closer relationship with one or both parents , uh, and ultimately a result that will minimize any destructive relationships between their parents. Um, to promote a more amicable, amicable family dynamic is, is a good result for us. So I have a few clients at the moment and in the past where they had been experiencing ongoing and , uh, ongoing financial and emotional abuse and the other party using the system to continuously engage them in exhausting and invasive processes in an attempt to avoid paying child support and really for the purpose of intimidation. So these wins do feel really good, particularly when there is a power imbalance whereby the other party throws unlimited financial resources towards these processes and just keeps coming at them. Um, and they just simply don't have the emotional or financial capacity to keep fighting. And most of these parents are mothers and the primary carers of their kids as well. So , um, and it's just too much for them sometimes to deal with on their own. So for me to represent these more vulnerable clients through , um, for example, an a a t hearing , um, and go up against a barrister that the other party is probably paying thousands and thousands and thousands of dollars to be there and have that win, it's pretty awesome

Speaker 2: 12:15

<laugh>. I love it. I love it. That's brilliant. Ah , and I love what you said right near the start where you just said it's about getting the result for the child. And I think when parents come into , I guess your office or into these child support situations thinking, what is the best outcome here for the children? They're the ones who are, you know, they're vulnerable, they're the ones that need help the most. That's what this is all about at the end of the day, isn't it?

Speaker 3: 12:42

A hundred percent. A hundred percent.

Speaker 2: 12:43

Yeah. No, that's, that's amazing. So what advice would you give someone who's in the period of separation when it comes to child support, as in how should they conduct themselves? How should they treat the courts? How should they treat maybe their ex?

Speaker 3: 12:59

The number one , um, advice I would get is to be informed. Um, you can't make informed decisions without correct information, and you can't make good decisions without good options. So have a plan, have a strategy that is child-focused, and don't make decisions on emotion making form decisions after researching your options , um, and what is best for you and your kids. So get the advice, get the professional advice. So whether that's from , um, an office like ours or , um, a legal representation representative or whoever it might be, get informed first and be comfortable with the information that you've received and make your decisions based on that.

Speaker 2: 13:36

Oh , that's some very sound advice , um, from someone who's been in the industry for decades. That's , um, that's great. Be informed, get that information. And , uh, how do we work hand in hand with you guys? How does down under investigations and child support consultants , uh, support each other and work together

Speaker 3: 13:55

Down under investigations has been really , um, really great. So it is been , um, fundamental actually with, with my, with my business because mainly for the , the serving of document court documents. So the process service , um, that you guys provide , um, has been really useful for us because while we assist clients with , um, the court documents and filing and all those sorts of things , um, part of that process also includes having to serve the other party , um, which is something that my office ourselves, we , we don't do that , uh, and we can't, we don't have the resources to be able to do that either , um, or the expertise that you guys have. So that would be our main , um, use of down under investigations at the moment. However , um, I also , um, we also have recently included a , um, service called our , um, integrity package. Sorry to think about that. It's called our Integrity package, which includes a private invest . It's ultimately a private investigation service. And these are for people who , um, who need a more intensive approach in relation to collection of their child support. So potentially they have a debt with child support that child support have been unable to collect for them. So we created this package as another option for them , um, in relation to , um, I suppose , um, you know , field visits and, you know, doing a , a private investigation type service and using your, your service for that, for that purpose.

Speaker 2: 15:15

Oh , absolutely. That's a, that's a great package that , um, I will talk about your website later on. Probably the great source of information to do with child support consultancies, your website and getting in contact with you. Um , definitely. So when, when a parent believes that the ex is lying, say about their income or something like that, what steps should they take? What should they do , um, to make sure that the assessment is fair and reasonable and obviously getting the best result for the children?

Speaker 3: 15:42

Yes. Uh , contact us, this , that would be the number one reason people do reach out to us because it is a very common issue. Um, and it's a well known flaw in the child support system that they do have loopholes , um, that people do exploit, unfortunately. So that's what we're here for, is to uncover that and correct that. So we, and we do that on a , on a daily basis. Um , we really do because there people do minimize their incomes. Um, there is ways that people can reduce their income in order to reduce their child support assessment. Um, and um, yeah, and , and we do, we do offer a service there to assist with correcting those types of assessments.

Speaker 2: 16:22

Brilliant. And not everything needs to proceed to the court stage, does it, when it comes to child support payments. Talk about the mediation side of things. How do , how do you believe things are best mediated between two parents

Speaker 3: 16:35

When it comes to collection of child support? Look, if , if it can't be, if it can't be discussed privately and you can't come, some parents don't, don't talk, they don't have any communication whatsoever. So it's not even possible to even mediate that type of , um, that type of thing. But that's why the child support system is in place. They are a collection agency. So if it's not possible to mediate or discuss child support collection with the other party , uh, in a productive or constructive way, the child support system is there for that purpose. Um, they are a collection agency and they do have certain jurisdiction in relation to their powers of collection. Um, and there are certain things that they can do to collect that on your behalf. Of course you don't, you don't want to be going down the road of enforcement and things like that if it's not necessary because you don't want to be causing unnecessary conflict in an other , uh, otherwise amicable sort of co-parenting relationship. Um, but sometimes it's necessary if it's not possible to deal with that , um, outside the agency, that is what that they, they are there for . They have numerous ways that they can collect that on your behalf.

Speaker 2: 17:40

That's excellent. And when it comes to heading towards the court stage, let's say there's a hearing coming up and , uh, how I , I guess the question is how does a parent best prepare themselves for that? Um, how do they know that they're gonna say the right things or present the right evidence? What's the best way they can approach the court stage? A court hearing date?

Speaker 3: 18:03

Yes. So if, if a parent has chosen to self represent through that process and they, they have not got legal representation there to represent on their behalf , um, then it's important to at least have a discussion either with a lawyer or with ourselves , um, discuss it with us and we can determine whether it would be beneficial for them to have a discussion with a lawyer before they went into that hearing to best prepare them for that. Um, if they can't afford that, if that's something that's just not possible due to their finances, then we can assist them with providing , um, a script for them so that they can go in there confident that they can at least stick to a script, cover the , the elements of the case that they need to , um, and, and have something there in front of them to prepare them for that hearing day.

Speaker 2: 18:49

Oh , that's , um, that's very useful. So there's like a, I guess a template kind of situation where you , you talk them through, this is what you need to say to the, the magistrate, the judge, the, the person hearing your case, these the elements you need to hit and this is the information that they are looking for. This is the information they're gonna need so that your client, that parent is best prepared for those situations. Correct . Um , and will you attend court with a person or do you have lawyers that you refer them to to attend a court hearing?

Speaker 3: 19:21

We do. We have lawyers that we refer our clients to, to attend those hearings because we, we ourselves are not lawyers. Um, but we do have connections with some really great family lawyers that we highly recommend in , in different states. So it doesn't matter where , where you live, we do have connections in different states around Australia , um, who can attend there on your behalf if , if you do want representation.

Speaker 2: 19:41

Hmm . And have you ever, this is a a an interesting question that I was thinking of. Have you ever had a client who you feel they're not quite telling you the truth, they're exaggerating or they're denying things that, you know, are like, well that doesn't make sense. How do you handle a client that comes to you in not being totally honest or being quite evasive when they're your own client?

Speaker 3: 20:06

Yeah. And , and that , that can be an issue because, and sometimes , um, it may not surface until down the track as well. Um, so we , I have had, I have had a client in the past and, and the issue is, I suppose when it comes to child support, there's a lot of emotion involved and people do things that they wouldn't normally do because they're acting on impulse and on emotion and other things that are going on outside the scope of child support. And what I mean by that is generally things that do with , um, the withholding of children and, and things like that. And so people are , um, doing the wrong thing. Um, and you know, based on that sort of that trigger and that, that emotion that , and it's not the right thing to do, but, and , um, I'm not trying to to justify it in any way, but they are, they're doing it based on an emotional , um, instinct. And so they , they do that and then by the time they, they realize that they shouldn't have done that, they've kind of dug that hole a little bit too deep <laugh> , and before you know it , they're before the tribunal and the tribunal , um, member, presiding member is , um, you know, scrutinizing all their, their , their bank statements and their financial resources and they're asking them about transactions and, you know, all these sorts of things , um, that, that they didn't really , they didn't realize it was gonna get to this point, you know? Um, and so yeah , so how I would deal with that is to really, and I learned very early on, so these sorts of cases , um, sort of came about when I first started my business. Sure . And I've learned very early on to make sure that I have all the information before me before it gets to that point , um, you know, of , of no return, I suppose, in that situation because yeah, it, it can, it can end up , um, you know, not good I guess for anyone involved, really anyone involved because , um, and usually, and what I mean by that is a case , the case I'm talking about specifically, it was actually a mother. Um, and, and the issue was, and as a mom I I understand as well, it must be really hard when , um, the child is , has been taken from you. And so the , the child is living with, with the father and she was really upset and really emotional and trying to minimize, she had to pay child support. And so she's called child support and told them that her income was , um, quite minimal. Um, and we believed her as well because of the story that she told us. And then by the time it got to the tribunal hearing, and she was really reluctant on providing all her financial , um, her financial statement and her financial disclosure and um, you know, financials pertaining to her business and things like that, we started sort of questioning, I guess , uh, like things at that point. And when it came about that she really did have the money there, she just didn't wanna pay to the father because , um, the fact that she , he had taken her son and, and refusing to let her see her son. So , um, you know, I understand, I mean, it's not okay, but I mean it's , it's a difficult subject, child support you are dealing with , um, a lot of emotion there. It's not just another bill to pay. It's um, you know, it's, it's a lot more involved and there's a lot more going on in people's lives outside the child support assessment itself as well. Um, so it's about having that good strong conversation with that person to explain how proceeding with this could impact you in a negative way. So if you continue down this path, if you are not telling us the truth, it's not going to end well for you. So there's no point lying to us or not telling us the whole truth because ultimately you are not going to get the desired outcome and more than likely the the outcome's going to be detrimental to you, more detrimental than what your current situation is.

Speaker 2: 23:32

Wow. <laugh>, that's , uh, that's an excellent , um, way to handle things. 'cause it sounds like it could be that snowball effect where yeah , they start not disclosing all their own bank accounts and the court's like, well, where's your rent coming from? You know, where, where's your everyday expenses coming from? Like they can't be coming from this account that has a zero balance. Um, yeah . Are you getting paid cash? Are you're paying for everything cash? You know what's going on there? Where's your a TO bank , uh, you know, your tax statements and those sorts of things. So Exactly. Yeah. Uh , it's good that someone can lean on you for that advice as well, and, and when they're honest with you, you are able to then get them the best outcome as well and the best outcome for their kids. Yeah,

Speaker 3: 24:12

Exactly right. Yeah. And that's the thing and , and if we know what the real issue is, then we can refer them to other , um, you know , professionals in different areas. So if the issue really isn't child support is it, is the fact that you're not seeing your child, then you're really speaking to the wrong person, this isn't the way to go. There's different pathways for you and we can refer you to the proper , um, services and supports that you need for the real matter that you have here.

Speaker 2: 24:39

Uh , that's excellent. And I guess when it comes to the other party lying, one thing I was thinking about while you were talking about that was we had a case recently where they believed their ex was working. Their ex was saying, no, I don't work, I don't work, I don't work. We conducted surveillance, we followed the ex in a morning to his workplace where he went in in uniform and he was a hundred percent working. And from that evidence, the court hearing all turned around in their favor and they were able to get things reassessed because then they were able to subpoena the right , um, payslips and the right payroll office for that person. The child support , um, department of DHS wasn't able to find that information, but we were, so that was really helpful for that client and we were pretty proud of that moment, you know, when we got that money shot that we call it , you know, we we're clear 100% that person is 100% employed and they are earning an income that That's right . Even though though they're declaring nothing. So

Speaker 3: 25:41

Yeah. And that's why your service is so valuable for this type of thing for , for child support matters because as you said, you can do things that the child support agency just can't, they don't have the jurisdiction to do what you do. Um , and so for you to be able to do that and then provide that evidence, whether that's to the courts or to child support, to conduct those reviews and correct child support assessments or, or whatever it might be, to make sure that children are supported , um, in line with both parents' financial capacity and , and it's a fair assessment at the end of the day.

Speaker 2: 26:11

That's right. Because at the end of the day, it's not about getting revenge on the ex , it's about what's best for the children and the children need finances. The children need to be fed and clothed and housed and looked after in so many ways the medical and ongoing cost that cost to raise a children a child. So , um, that's what this is all about. And um, if someone wanted to engage your services, what's the rough price they can pay? How do you , um, how do you charge for your services , uh, particularly if someone's on cent payments or a lower income , um, how do they engage you?

Speaker 3: 26:46

Yes , so we have a range of different services. So if you jump on our website under our services there, we have a range of different services that depending on your situation and what you need, we can assist you with. But you can initially call for a 15 minute free phone call. Um, so we can then guide you on what the best option would be for you and your situation. And we do have a range of options there. So if you speak to us about your circumstances, your financial circumstances, then we can work out , um, a tailored financial plan for you, I suppose, in relation to assisting you with your matter.

Speaker 2: 27:16

Yeah . Excellent. So 15 minutes of your time, that would be invaluable to get to the point, the specifics of what a parent is dealing with. So I suggest to our listeners, get in touch if you are , if you are going through these , uh, child support , uh, payment issues and matters or you know, someone who's, you know, maybe a friend is vented to your , or told you, oh , my ex is paying this or not doing that, or he is lying or whatever, put them onto child support consultants, they're the way to go as far as getting the right outcome and getting a great outcome for, for that individual and for the kids at the end of the day. And I've got no doubt that our listeners would love to reach out to you and find out more. What's the best way for them to get in touch with you?

Speaker 3: 28:01

Jump on our website because there's a few different ways you can, you can book straight in for a consultation. So we do our consultations via Zoom, so it doesn't matter where you are in Australia or overseas, wherever you are, we can do a consultation at a time that suits you. Um, or you can just , there's also where you can see where you can book in for that free 15 minute phone call as well. So you can book that in, in a time that suits you as well also. And there's also a booking form, so if you want to actually put in more details about your circumstances and send an online inquiry, there is a booking form that will ask a range of questions there so we can review that before we call you. Um, and have an idea about your, what your situation is before we give you a call, but jump on our website. There are so many different options there in relation to getting in touch with us.

Speaker 2: 28:43

Oh wow. Crystal , you and your team are , are the best, absolute best when it comes to child support and supporting parents and getting the best results for kids at the end of the day. Thank you so much for your time. It's been great talking to you. I really, again, encourage our listeners to get in touch, get in, get that 15 minute phone call, get that wisdom and insight when it comes to child support matters. Thank you so much for your time and wisdom today.

Speaker 3: 29:08

Thank you Simon. Thank you.

Speaker 2: 29:10

You take care. Bye.

Speaker 1: 29:11

Thanks for listening. To get in touch with the team at Down Under Investigation, check out our website@downunderinvestigations.com or call 1 308 4 9 0 0 7 or email info at down under Investigations dot.