Carwardine and Copleston (Child support)

This matter concerned an appeal to the Child Support Registrar by Carwardine (the applicant) against a decision of the Registrar regarding child support payments made by Copleston (the respondent). The dispute centred on whether a payment made by the respondent for orthodontic treatment for the child was a "prescribed payment" for the purposes of the *Child Support (Registration and Collection) Act 1988* (Cth) and, if so, whether it had been correctly credited against the respondent's child support liability.

The primary legal issue before the Registrar was to determine if the payment made by the respondent for the child's orthodontic treatment constituted a "prescribed payment" as defined by the relevant legislation. This involved an assessment of whether the payment met the criteria for being recognised as a contribution towards the child's necessary expenses, thereby qualifying for credit against the assessed child support amount.

The Registrar reasoned that the payment for orthodontic treatment was indeed a prescribed payment. This conclusion was based on the understanding that such expenses, when incurred for the child's benefit and meeting specific criteria, could be recognised as a form of child support. The Registrar affirmed the initial decision that the payment had been correctly credited, meaning the respondent was entitled to a reduction in their outstanding child support liability equivalent to the amount of the orthodontic payment.