Dipper and Wane (Child support)

The case of *Dipper and Wane* concerned an application for a departure determination under the *Child Support (Registration and Collection) Act 1988* (Cth). The dispute involved the parents' respective financial circumstances and their ability to meet the costs of their child's education. The matter came before Judicial Officer Leonard M.

The primary legal issue before the court was whether to depart from the child support assessment to take into account the costs of the child's education. This required the court to consider the income, property, and financial resources of both parents in determining whether such a departure was justified.

Judicial Officer Leonard M reasoned that the existing child support assessment did not adequately account for the significant costs associated with the child's private education. The court applied the principles of the *Child Support (Registration and Collection) Act 1988* (Cth) to assess the capacity of each parent to contribute to these educational expenses, considering their overall financial positions. The court found that a departure was warranted to ensure the child's educational needs were met.

The court set aside the previous decision and substituted its own, ordering a departure from the child support assessment to reflect the costs of the child's education.