Chalkley and Teague (Child support)

The matter of *Chalkley and Teague* concerned a dispute regarding the percentage of care for two children, brought before the Child Support Registrar. The mother had provided a date for a change in the children's care arrangements, which was accepted by Child Support. The father's subsequent involvement with the children did not follow a consistent pattern after this date. The decision under review affirmed the assessment made by Child Support.

The primary legal issue before the Registrar was to determine the correct percentage of care for the children, specifically in light of the differing dates provided by the parents for a change in care arrangements. This involved assessing the evidence presented by both parties to establish the factual basis for the care percentages to be applied under the relevant legislation.

The Registrar's reasoning focused on the evidence presented regarding the change in care. The mother's stated date for the change was accepted as the operative date for the purposes of the assessment. The father's subsequent care arrangements were found not to be sufficiently regular or consistent to alter the initial assessment based on the mother's evidence. The Registrar applied the principles of the *Child Support (Registration and Collection) Act 1988* to determine the applicable care percentages based on the established facts.