Ranford and Kendle (Child support)

This matter concerned an application by the liable parent, Ranford, to review decisions of the Child Support Registrar regarding the adjusted taxable incomes used for past child support assessment periods. Kendle was the payee parent. The dispute centred on whether the Registrar had erred in refusing to reduce Ranford's adjusted taxable incomes for those past periods.

The primary legal issue before the court was whether the conditions prescribed by the *Child Support (Registration and Collection) Act 1988* (Cth) for changing a child support assessment by lowering the liable parent's adjusted taxable income for past periods were met. Specifically, the court had to determine if the Registrar had correctly applied the relevant legislative provisions when refusing Ranford's request.

The court affirmed the Registrar's decisions. It found that the legislative requirements for altering past assessments by reducing the liable parent's adjusted taxable income were not satisfied. The court applied the principles of administrative law, focusing on whether the Registrar's decision was reasonable and in accordance with the governing legislation. The evidence did not demonstrate that the original assessments were based on incorrect information or that the circumstances warranted a retrospective adjustment to lower the liable parent's income.