Gretton and Gretton (Child support)

This matter concerned an appeal to the Child Support Special Powers Division of the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia regarding a departure determination. The parties, referred to as Gretton and Gretton, were in dispute over an application to depart from the child support assessment. The decision under review was affirmed.

The court was required to determine whether any of the grounds for departure, as set out in section 117 of the *Child Support (Registration and Collection) Act 1988* (Cth), were established. Specifically, the court considered whether the income, property, and financial resources of both parents warranted a departure from the standard assessment.

The court found that no ground for departure was established. It applied the principles governing departure applications, which require a party to demonstrate that the assessment is not fair and just in the circumstances due to specific factors. In this instance, the evidence presented did not meet the threshold for a departure determination, leading the court to affirm the original decision.