Marchand and Christian (Child support)

The matter of *Marchand and Christian* concerned an application to review a departure determination made by the Child Support Registrar. The applicant, Mr Marchand, sought to set aside a decision that had altered the child support assessment based on his income, property, and financial resources, specifically focusing on benefits derived from his business. The review was heard by Member Buxton of the relevant tribunal.

The central legal issue before the tribunal was whether the Child Support Registrar had erred in their determination regarding the income, property, and financial resources available to Mr Marchand, and consequently, whether the departure determination was justified. This involved scrutinising the Registrar's assessment of the benefits Mr Marchand derived from his business and whether these benefits should have been taken into account in calculating his child support liability.

Member Buxton's reasoning focused on the principles governing departure determinations under the *Child Support (Registration and Collection) Act 1988*. The tribunal considered the extent to which business benefits should be attributed to a liable parent for child support purposes. The decision ultimately found that the Registrar's initial determination was flawed, leading to the set aside of the original decision. A substituted decision was then made by the tribunal.