Megyer and Wilcher (Child support)

This matter concerned an appeal by the father, Mr Megyer, against a decision of the Child Support Registrar to accept an estimate of his income for the purposes of a child support assessment. The mother, Ms Wilcher, had sought a child support assessment, and the Registrar had made an estimate of the father's income after he failed to provide requested financial information. The father sought to have this estimate refused.

The primary legal issue before the court was whether the Registrar had erred in accepting the estimate of the father's income, or whether the estimate should have been refused. This required the court to consider the circumstances under which an estimate of income is permissible under the *Child Support (Registration and Collection) Act 1988* (Cth) and the relevant principles for refusing such an estimate.

The court affirmed the Registrar's decision, finding that the father had failed to provide sufficient information to justify refusing the estimate. The court applied the principle that an estimate of income is appropriate when a liable parent fails to provide necessary information, and that the onus is on the liable parent to demonstrate why such an estimate should not be accepted. The father had not discharged this onus.

The appeal was dismissed, and the child support assessment based on the estimated income was affirmed.