Long and Long (Child support)

This matter concerned an application for review of a decision made by the Child Support Registrar. The applicants, Mr and Mrs Long, sought to have payments made directly to Mrs Long, outside of the Child Support Agency, credited against their child support liability. The review was heard by Senior Member K Dordevic.

The central legal issue before the court was whether the payments made by Mr Long directly to Mrs Long, rather than through the Child Support Agency, should be recognised and credited against his child support assessment. This involved an interpretation of the relevant provisions of the *Child Support (Registration and Collection) Act 1988* (Cth) concerning the proper method of satisfying child support obligations.

Senior Member Dordevic considered the legislative framework governing child support payments, which mandates that payments are to be made through the Child Support Agency unless specific exceptions apply. The court found that the direct payments made by Mr Long did not fall within any of the prescribed exceptions that would allow them to be credited against his assessed liability. Consequently, the Registrar's original decision, which did not credit these direct payments, was upheld. The court substituted its own decision for that of the Registrar.