Vannoy and Keaton (Child support)

The applicant, Vannoy, sought review of a decision made by the Child Support Registrar concerning the estimated income of the respondent, Keaton, for child support assessment purposes. The dispute centred on whether the Registrar had erred in refusing to accept Vannoy's estimate of Keaton's income.

The primary legal issue before the court was whether the Registrar's decision to refuse the applicant's estimate of the respondent's income was correct. This required the court to consider the criteria for accepting an estimated income figure in the context of child support assessments under the relevant legislation.

Justice Leonard M affirmed the Registrar's decision, finding that the applicant had not provided sufficient evidence to demonstrate that the estimated income was likely to be the actual income of the respondent. The court applied the principles governing the estimation of income for child support purposes, which require a reasonable basis for the estimate to be established. Without such a basis, the Registrar was entitled to refuse the estimate and proceed with the assessment based on available information. The decision under review was therefore affirmed.