Rateliff and Wilkinson (Child support)

This matter concerned an application by the father, Mr Rateliff, to extend a child support assessment beyond the eighteenth birthday of his child, [child's name], with the mother, Ms Wilkinson, opposing the application. The case came before the court on review of a decision made by the Child Support Registrar.

The primary legal issue before the court was whether the child, [child's name], remained in full-time secondary education at the time of their eighteenth birthday, which would ordinarily permit the extension of child support payments beyond that age. This required the court to determine if a terminating event, specifically the cessation of full-time secondary education, had occurred.

The court found that there was insufficient evidence before it to definitively determine whether the child was still undertaking full-time secondary education at the relevant time. Consequently, the court set aside the decision under review and remitted the matter back to the Child Support Registrar with directions to obtain further evidence regarding the child's educational status.