Ratliff and Ratliff (Child support)

The Administrative Appeals Tribunal considered an application by the father, Mr Ratliff, concerning a child support assessment for his son. The dispute centred on whether the child support assessment should be extended beyond the child's eighteenth birthday, as permitted by the *Child Support (Registration and Collection) Act 1988* (Cth) in certain circumstances. The mother, Mrs Ratliff, was also a party to the proceedings.

The primary legal issue before the Tribunal was whether the child was undertaking full-time secondary education on his eighteenth birthday. This factual determination was crucial for establishing eligibility for an extended child support assessment under the relevant provisions of the Act. The Tribunal was required to assess the evidence presented regarding the child's educational status at that specific point in time.

The Tribunal found that the child was indeed in full-time secondary education on his eighteenth birthday. Applying the principles of the *Child Support (Registration and Collection) Act 1988*, the Tribunal determined that the conditions for extending the child support assessment were met. Consequently, the Tribunal set aside the previous decision under review and substituted it with its own determination. The Tribunal ordered that the child support assessment be extended beyond the child's eighteenth birthday.