Timmins and Chiswick (Child support)

The Administrative Appeals Tribunal considered the dispute between the parties, identified as Timmins and Chiswick, concerning the particulars of an administrative assessment of child support. The core of the disagreement related to the acceptance of an estimated income figure for one of the parents.

The Tribunal was required to determine whether the estimate of the parent's income, which was less than the amount likely to be their actual income, should have been accepted by the Registrar. This involved assessing the reasonableness and accuracy of the income estimate provided in the context of the child support assessment process.

The Tribunal found that the estimate provided was not a reliable reflection of the parent's likely income. Applying the principles of child support legislation, which requires assessments to be based on accurate and realistic income figures, the Tribunal concluded that the Registrar erred in accepting the lower estimate. Consequently, the decision under review was set aside and substituted with a revised assessment that more accurately reflected the parent's earning capacity.