Mousley and Mousley (Child support)

The Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) considered an application by the applicant, Mr Mousley, to review a decision made by the Registrar of the Child Support Agency concerning the administrative assessment of child support. The dispute centred on the Registrar's calculation of the applicant's estimated income for the purposes of the child support assessment.

The primary legal issue before the Tribunal was whether the Registrar had correctly estimated the applicant's income in accordance with the provisions of the *Child Support (Registration and Collection) Act 1988* (Cth) and the *Child Support Assessment Act 1989* (Cth). Specifically, the Tribunal had to determine if the method used to estimate the applicant's income was reasonable and reflected the available information.

The Tribunal affirmed the Registrar's decision. It reasoned that the Registrar was entitled to estimate the applicant's income based on the information available, particularly in the absence of a tax return or other reliable financial documentation from the applicant. The Tribunal found that the estimate was a reasonable approach given the circumstances and that the Registrar had applied the relevant legislative provisions correctly in making the assessment.