Goodman and Goodman (Child support)

The matter of *Goodman and Goodman (Child Support)* concerned an application to review a departure determination made by the Child Support Registrar. The applicant, the liable parent, sought to set aside the Registrar's decision, which had departed from the usual child support assessment formula on the basis of the applicant's alleged failure to provide full and frank financial disclosure.

The primary legal issue before the court was whether the Registrar's departure determination was justified. This required the court to consider whether the applicant had indeed failed to provide full and frank disclosure of their income, property, and financial resources, and if so, whether this failure warranted a departure from the standard assessment. The court also had to determine if the Registrar's decision to depart was reasonable in the circumstances.

In its reasoning, the court examined the evidence presented regarding the applicant's financial position and their disclosures to the Registrar. The court applied the principles of administrative law, particularly concerning the duty of disclosure in child support matters and the grounds for setting aside a departure determination. The court found that the applicant had not provided full and frank disclosure, and that this failure was a material factor justifying a departure from the standard assessment. Consequently, the court set aside the Registrar's original departure determination and substituted its own, reflecting the court's assessment of the applicant's true financial position.