Putchett and Bubak (Child support)

The matter of *Putchett and Bubak* concerned an application to register an overseas maintenance liability under the *Child Support (Registration and Collection) Act 1988* (Cth). The applicant sought to register a maintenance liability that had been determined in a foreign jurisdiction. The respondent disputed the quantum of arrears that had accrued under this overseas order. The decision reviewed was made by the Registrar of the Child Support Registrar.

The primary legal issue before the Tribunal was whether the arrears, as calculated and sought to be registered, were valid and enforceable under Australian law, given the respondent's challenge to their quantum. This required the Tribunal to consider the principles governing the registration of overseas maintenance liabilities and the extent to which a respondent could dispute the amount of arrears at the registration stage.

The Tribunal affirmed the decision of the Registrar. It reasoned that the *Child Support (Registration and Collection) Act 1988* provides a mechanism for registering overseas maintenance liabilities, and the focus at this stage is generally on the existence and nature of the overseas order, rather than a de novo assessment of the arrears. The Tribunal found that the respondent had not provided sufficient grounds to challenge the quantum of the arrears at the point of registration, and that the overseas determination of arrears was to be respected for the purposes of registration.