Mr Mansour and Mrs Chen (Child support)

This matter concerned an application for a departure determination under the *Child Support (Registration and Collection) Act 1988* (Cth) brought by Mr Mansour against Mrs Chen. The dispute centred on the assessment of child support payable by Mr Mansour for the parties' child. The decision under review was made by the Registrar of the Child Support Agency. The case was heard by the Federal Magistrates Court of Australia.

The primary legal issue before the Court was whether the Registrar had erred in her assessment of Mr Mansour's child support liability. Specifically, the Court was required to determine whether the Registrar had correctly considered Mr Mansour's income and financial resources, particularly income derived from his business interests, when making the departure determination.

The Court found that the Registrar had failed to adequately consider all relevant financial information provided by Mr Mansour, including evidence relating to his business income and expenses. The Court applied the principles of child support assessment, emphasising the need for a comprehensive and accurate assessment of a liable parent's capacity to pay. The Court concluded that the Registrar's decision was not supported by the evidence and that a departure from the administrative assessment was justified.

The Court set aside the Registrar's decision and substituted its own determination, recalculating Mr Mansour's child support liability based on a more accurate assessment of his income and financial resources.