Caden and Child Support Registrar (Child support)

The Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) considered the dispute between Caden and the Child Support Registrar concerning the percentage of care provided to a child. The core of the disagreement revolved around determining the appropriate care period and whether the calculation of care percentages should be based on nights spent in care.

The Tribunal was required to determine the likely pattern of care for the child and the date from which the appropriate care period should commence. A further issue was whether the assessment of care percentages should be made by reference to the number of nights the child spent in the care of each parent.

The Tribunal affirmed the decision under review, finding that the appropriate care period commenced on a specific date and that the care percentages should be determined by reference to the nights in care. The reasoning applied by the Tribunal focused on establishing the factual pattern of care and applying the relevant legislative provisions for calculating child support percentages.