Meilnik and Jenk

In the matter of *Meilnik and Jenk*, heard before Cronin J, the applicant, Mr Meilnik, sought a declaration that he was not the parent of a child, W, born in August 2012. The dispute centred on the parentage of the child, with Mr Meilnik asserting he was not the biological father.

The primary legal issues before the Court were whether Mr Meilnik should be declared not a parent of the child W, and consequently, whether he should be assessed for the costs associated with the child under the *Child Support (Assessment) Act 1989* (Cth). The Court was also required to determine the appropriate orders regarding the costs of parentage testing and the overall costs of the proceedings.

Cronin J applied the provisions of s 69VA of the *Family Law Act 1975* (Cth) to determine parentage and s 107 of the *Child Support (Assessment) Act 1989* (Cth) concerning assessment for child costs. Based on the evidence presented, including the results of a parentage testing procedure, the Court declared that Mr Meilnik was not a parent of the child W. Consequently, the Court ordered that Mr Meilnik not be assessed for the costs of the child. The respondent was ordered to pay the costs of the parentage testing and the applicant's costs fixed at $1000. Leave was granted for the applicant to proceed on an undefended basis, and the application filed on 17 September 2013 was otherwise dismissed.