Whetten and Whetten (Child support)

The case of *Whetten and Whetten* concerned a dispute over the administrative assessment of child support. The applicant, Mr Whetten, sought to challenge the assessment made by the Registrar of Child Support. The central issue was whether the Registrar had erred in refusing to accept an estimate of Mr Whetten's income for the purposes of the child support assessment. The matter came before the court for review of the Registrar's decision.

The primary legal issue before the court was whether the Registrar had acted reasonably and in accordance with the relevant provisions of the *Child Support (Registration and Collection) Act 1988* (Cth) when refusing to accept Mr Whetten's estimate of his income. Specifically, the court had to consider the criteria and evidential requirements for accepting an income estimate in the context of a child support assessment.

The court found that the Registrar had not properly considered the evidence provided by Mr Whetten in support of his income estimate. The court reasoned that the Registrar's refusal was based on an insufficient understanding of the circumstances and the available evidence. Applying the principles of administrative review, the court determined that the Registrar's decision was not supported by adequate reasoning or evidence. Consequently, the court set aside the Registrar's decision and substituted its own decision regarding the income estimate.