Firth and Fish (Child support)

The case of *Firth and Fish* concerned a dispute regarding the percentage of care arrangements for a child. The applicant sought to have existing percentage of care determinations revoked and new determinations made. The matter came before the court for review of a decision made by the Child Support Registrar.

The primary legal issue before the court was whether there had been a change to the care arrangements for the child that warranted a revocation of the existing percentage of care determinations and the making of new ones. This required the court to consider the evidence presented regarding the actual care provided to the child and to assess whether this evidence met the threshold for altering the established care percentages.

The court's reasoning focused on the factual circumstances of the child's living arrangements and the practicalities of the care provided by each parent. The court applied the principles of the *Child Support (Registration and Collection) Act 1988* concerning the determination of care percentages, which requires an assessment of the actual care provided to the child. The court found that the evidence supported a change in the care arrangements and that the existing determinations were no longer reflective of the reality of the child's upbringing.

Consequently, the court set aside the decision under review and substituted it with new percentage of care determinations that accurately reflected the changed care arrangements.