Ainsworth and Mynatt (Child support)

The Administrative Appeals Tribunal considered the dispute between Ainsworth and Mynatt concerning the particulars of an administrative assessment of child support. The core of the disagreement lay in the estimated income amount used in the assessment, which was alleged to be less than the parent's likely taxable income.

The Tribunal was required to determine whether the estimated income amount used in the child support assessment accurately reflected the parent's likely taxable income. Specifically, the Tribunal had to decide if the initial decision to set aside and substitute the estimated income amount was appropriate.

The Tribunal's reasoning focused on the principles governing the estimation of income for child support purposes. It applied the relevant provisions of the *Child Support (Registration and Collection) Act 1988*, which allow for the estimation of a parent's income when actual income information is unavailable or unreliable. The Tribunal considered evidence presented regarding the parent's financial circumstances and earning capacity to ascertain their likely taxable income. The Tribunal found that the estimated income amount was indeed less than the parent's likely taxable income and therefore set aside the original decision. The Tribunal substituted its own decision, reflecting a revised estimate of the parent's income.