Steer and Mayler (Child support)

The Administrative Appeals Tribunal reviewed a decision concerning the child support assessment for the parties, Steer and Mayler. The dispute centred on the correct determination of Mayler's income for a particular year of income, which formed the basis of the child support assessment.

The Tribunal was required to determine whether the initial assessment of Mayler's income had been correctly calculated and whether further investigation was necessary to ensure an accurate assessment. The core legal issue was the proper application of the Child Support (Registration and Collection) Act 1988 in determining a liable parent's income for child support purposes.

The Tribunal found that the initial assessment had not adequately considered all relevant information and that further investigation was required to ascertain Mayler's true income. Consequently, the Tribunal set aside the original decision and remitted the matter back to the Registrar for reconsideration, providing specific directions to guide the further investigation and assessment process.