Vann and Simmers (Child support)

The Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) considered the matter of child support between the parties, referred to as Vann and Simmers. The dispute concerned the percentage of care arrangements for the child, with the applicant seeking to revoke existing percentage of care determinations and have new determinations made. The AAT affirmed the decision under review.

The primary legal issue before the Tribunal was whether there had been a change to the likely pattern of care for the child. This required the Tribunal to assess the evidence presented regarding the current and future care arrangements and determine if they warranted a departure from the existing percentage of care determinations.

The Tribunal's reasoning focused on the evidence presented concerning the actual and prospective care arrangements for the child. It applied the principles of the *Child Support (Registration and Collection) Act 1988* (Cth) in assessing whether the established pattern of care had changed to a degree that justified new determinations. The Tribunal found that the evidence supported the conclusion that a change in the likely pattern of care had occurred, leading to the revocation of existing determinations and the making of new ones.