Lanaford and Child Support Registrar (Child support)

The Administrative Appeals Tribunal considered an application by Lanaford for an extension of time to lodge an objection against a decision of the Child Support Registrar. The dispute concerned Lanaford's failure to lodge a tax return, which was a prerequisite for the Child Support Registrar to make a child support assessment. Lanaford sought to challenge this assessment, but the time limit for lodging an objection had expired.

The Tribunal was required to determine whether to grant Lanaford an extension of time to lodge her objection. This involved assessing whether Lanaford had provided a sufficient explanation for the delay in lodging her objection and whether her proposed objection had sufficient merit to warrant the extension.

Member H Moreland reasoned that while Lanaford had provided some explanation for the delay, it was not sufficiently compelling to justify an extension of time. The failure to lodge a tax return was a significant factor that contributed to the delay in the child support assessment process. The Tribunal applied the principles that an applicant must demonstrate both a reasonable explanation for the delay and that the proposed objection has merit. In this instance, the Tribunal found that the explanation for the delay was inadequate.

Consequently, the Tribunal refused Lanaford's application for an extension of time and affirmed the decision of the Child Support Registrar.