Dudfield and Oakley (Child support)

This matter concerned an appeal to the Federal Circuit Court of Australia regarding a decision of the Child Support Registrar. The appeal was brought by Mr Dudfield and Ms Oakley, who were the parents of a child, concerning the Registrar's decision to alter the assessed percentage of care for the child.

The primary legal issue before the Court was whether there had been a change in the pattern of care for the child that warranted a reassessment of the percentage of care attributed to each parent under the *Child Support (Registration and Collection) Act 1988* (Cth). The Court was required to determine if the Registrar had erred in finding that such a change had occurred.

The Court reviewed the evidence presented and applied the principles governing changes to the pattern of care. It considered the statutory requirements for a change to be recognised and the evidence required to substantiate such a change. Ultimately, the Court found that the Registrar's decision was not supported by the evidence and that the Registrar had incorrectly determined that a change in the pattern of care had occurred.

Consequently, the Court set aside the decision of the Child Support Registrar and substituted its own decision, which reflected the Court's findings regarding the percentage of care.