Bomford and Duerk (Child support)

This matter concerned an appeal to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) regarding a child support assessment. The parties involved were Bomford and Duerk, and the dispute centred on whether a terminating event had occurred in relation to the child, which would affect the child support assessment. The AAT was tasked with reviewing the decision made by the Registrar of the Child Support Agency.

The primary legal issue before the Tribunal was to determine whether the child in question had ceased to be a qualifying child for the purposes of child support. Specifically, the Tribunal had to consider the definition of a "terminating event" under the relevant legislation, and whether the circumstances of the child, including being a member of a couple and neither parent having care of the child, constituted such an event.

The Tribunal reasoned that the definition of a terminating event included circumstances where a child is no longer considered a "relevant child" under the *Child Support (Registration and Collection) Act 1988*. The evidence indicated that the child had become a member of a couple and that neither parent had care of the child. These facts, when considered against the legislative framework, satisfied the criteria for a terminating event. Consequently, the Tribunal affirmed the decision under review.