James and Child Support Registrar (Child support)

The case of *James and Child Support Registrar* concerned a dispute over the percentage of care for a child, brought before the court by the applicant, James. The central issue was whether a change in the likely pattern of care had occurred, impacting the child support assessment.

The court was required to determine if the circumstances surrounding the child's care had altered sufficiently to warrant a reassessment of the percentage of care. Specifically, the court had to consider whether the withholding of care and the subsequent making and compliance with further Parenting Orders, which resulted in supervised daily care only, constituted a material change in the likely pattern of care.

In its reasoning, the court affirmed the decision under review, finding that the changes in the care arrangements did indeed constitute a material change to the likely pattern of care. The legal principle applied was that a significant alteration in the established pattern of care, particularly where it involves restrictions such as supervised contact, can trigger a review and potential adjustment of the percentage of care for child support purposes. The court concluded that the evidence supported a finding that the pattern of care had changed in a way that justified the affirmed decision.