Oakley and Dexter (Child support)

The matter of Oakley and Dexter (Child Support) concerned an appeal to the Child Support Registrar regarding a decision about the percentage of care for a child. The appellant, Oakley, sought to challenge the existing percentage of care determinations.

The primary legal issues before the Registrar were whether there had been a change to the likely pattern of care for the child, and consequently, whether the existing percentage of care determinations should be revoked and new determinations made.

The Registrar affirmed the existing decision, finding that the evidence did not establish a sufficient change in the likely pattern of care to warrant a revocation of the current percentage of care determinations. The Registrar applied the principles governing the assessment of care arrangements under the *Child Support (Registration and Collection) Act 1988*, focusing on the prospective nature of "likely pattern of care" and the threshold required for a change to be recognised.