Kingston and Child Support Registrar (Child support)

This matter concerned an appeal to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal concerning a child support assessment. The parties involved were Kingston and the Child Support Registrar, with the dispute revolving around the percentage of care attributed to each parent for the purposes of calculating child support obligations.

The Tribunal was required to determine whether the initial administrative assessment of the percentage of care was correct, specifically in circumstances where the parents were living under the same roof. The central legal issue was whether a shared care arrangement was appropriate and, if so, how that should be reflected in the care percentage calculation from the commencement of the assessment.

The Tribunal considered the evidence presented regarding the living arrangements and the practicalities of care provided by each parent. It applied the principles of the *Child Support (Registration and Collection) Act 1988* concerning the determination of care percentages, particularly in situations of cohabitation. The Tribunal found that the evidence supported a finding of shared care and that this pattern of care was likely to have been in place from the commencement of the administrative assessment.

The Tribunal affirmed the decision under review, meaning the original assessment, which reflected a shared care arrangement, was upheld.