BOCK & BOCK

In *Bock & Bock*, the husband applied to the Federal Court of Australia seeking to vary an overseas child maintenance order and to discharge arrears accrued under that order, as well as to stay its enforcement. The wife sought to enforce the overseas order.

The primary legal issues before the Court were whether it had the power to vary an overseas child maintenance order pursuant to regulation 36 of the *Family Law Regulations 1984* (Cth), and whether it should discharge arrears and stay enforcement of the overseas order.

Strickland J considered the scope of regulation 36, which permits the variation of overseas maintenance orders registered in Australia. His Honour determined that the Court had jurisdiction to vary the order. However, in exercising its discretion, the Court considered the husband's conduct, including his failure to comply with the overseas order and his delay in seeking a variation. The Court found that the husband had not demonstrated sufficient grounds to warrant a variation of the order or the discharge of arrears, nor a stay of enforcement.

Consequently, the Court dismissed the husband's applications.