Carnell and Carnell

[2006] FMCAfam 476

FEDERAL MAGISTRATES COURT OF AUSTRALIA

CARNELL & CARNELL [2006] FMCAfam 476

FAMILY LAW – Child maintenance – duty of step-parent to maintain – whether application for “substantive” maintenance order required – no such order required before Court makes s.66M(2) order – application otherwise dismissed.

Family Law Act 1975, ss.66A, 66M, 66N
Child Support (Assessment) Act1989, ss.5, 39

Cooper and Cooper (1989) FLC 92-017
Duncan and Duncan (1991) FLC 92-218
Dodge and Krapf and Krapf (1991) FLC 92-214
Bassingthwaite v Leane (1993) 16 FamLR 918
Humphries v Humphries (1993) 17 Fam LR 120
Day and Day (1993) FLC 92-333
Hayne v Hayne (1994) FLC 92-512
Bienke v Bienke-Robson (1997) 23 Fam LR 569
Mulvena v Mulvena (1999) 24 Fam LR 452
Hayes & Smith (unrep. Family Court of Australia, Johnston JR, SY7416 of 1987, 12 November, 1999)
Wijayaratnam & Wijayaratnam (unrep. Family Court of Australia, Wilczek J., DG3701 of 1999, 16 February, 2000)
Facey & Facey [2001] FMCAfam 1
Anderson & Henry [2001] FCMAfam 281
Hill v Hill (Unreported, SA 88 of 2002, Kay J, 16/04/2003)
Harvey & Harvey & Reyes-Firmani [2003] FMCAfam 320
D’Andrea & Anderson [2004] FMCAfam 440
Petersen v Marangelli (unrep. Family Court of Australia, O’Reilly J. BRF4668 of 2003, 29 June, 2004
Finley v Courtney (unrep. Family Court of Australia, Faulks J., CAF620 of 2004, 18 July, 2005)
Altomare and Altomare (unrep. Family Court of Australia, Loughnan JR, SYF3478 of 2004, 9 December, 2005)
KB v SK (2005) FLC 98-026

First Applicant: DAVID KEITH CARNELL

Second Applicant: DEBBIE ANN CARNELL

Respondent: JODIE GWENYTH CARNELL

File Number: BRM749 of 2006

Judgment of: Jarrett FM

Hearing date: 14 August, 2006

Date of Last Submission: 14 August, 2006

Delivered at: Brisbane

Delivered on: 22 September, 2006

REPRESENTATION

The Applicants appeared in person

No appearance for the Respondent

ORDERS

1. That the application filed on 26 June, 2006 be dismissed.

FEDERAL MAGISTRATES
COURT OF AUSTRALIA AT
BRISBANE

BRM749 of 2006

DAVID KEITH CARNELL

First Applicant

And

DEBBIE ANN CARNELL

Second Applicant

And

JODIE GWENYTH CARNELL

Respondent

REASONS FOR JUDGMENT

1. By their application filed on the 26 June, 2006 the applicants seek the following orders:

   1   Departure order -- Under Section 116 of The Child Support (Assessment) Act 1989

   [Sub-Para 116 (2)(a)(iii)(B)]

   Duty To Maintain My Wife And Two Stepchildren

2. I take the reference to Sub-Para 116 (2)(a)(iii)(B) to be a reference to s. 117(2)(a)(iii)(B) of the Child Support (Assessment) Act1989 ("the CSA Act").

3. The application is supported by an affidavit of the first applicant, Keith David Carnell filed on 26 June, 2006.  The application has been served on the respondent Jodie Gwyneth Carnell.

4. The applicants appeared for themselves. The respondent did not appear. It became apparent through the course of the applicants’ submissions that this is really an application for an order that the first applicant have a duty to maintain the children of the second applicant pursuant to s.66M of the Family Law Act 1975 ("the Act"). 

5. The application for a departure order was not pressed…