Getson and Blanchfield (Child support)

This matter concerned an appeal by Getson against a decision of the Child Support Registrar concerning an administrative assessment of child support. The dispute centred on the Registrar's acceptance of an estimated income for Blanchfield, the liable parent, when Blanchfield had failed to provide income details. Getson sought to have this estimate refused. The appeal was heard by P Noonan M.

The primary legal issue before the Court was whether the Child Support Registrar had erred in accepting an estimated income for Blanchfield for the purposes of the child support assessment, rather than refusing to make an assessment or making an assessment based on a different figure. This required the Court to consider the relevant provisions of the *Child Support (Registration and Collection) Act 1988* (Cth) and the *Child Support (Assessment) Act 1989* (Cth) concerning the making of administrative assessments and the use of estimated incomes when a liable parent fails to provide necessary information.

P Noonan M affirmed the Registrar's decision, finding that the estimate of Blanchfield's income was correctly accepted. The Court reasoned that the Registrar had a statutory obligation to make an assessment even in the absence of full information from the liable parent. The evidence before the Registrar, including information from other government agencies, supported the estimation of Blanchfield's income. The Court found no basis to conclude that the estimate was unreasonable or that the Registrar had failed to exercise their discretion appropriately under the relevant legislation. The decision under review was therefore affirmed.