austlii:cth/ARTA/2025/940
General information, not legal advice.
ARTA
2025-04-01
Original judgment source is linked above.
Lanachan and Lanachan (Child support) [2025] ARTA 940 (1 April 2025)
Decision: The Tribunal varies the decision under review so that for the period 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2024 the income used in the assessment for Mrs Lanachan is to be decreased by $10,457.
CHILD SUPPORT - departure from the administrative assessment - income, property and financial resources - financial capacity of a child - under-utilised earning capacity - tax on withdrawn superannuation monies - ground for departure - adjusted taxable income reduced - decision under review varied
Names used in all published decisions are pseudonyms. Any references appearing in square brackets indicate that information has been omitted from this decision and replaced with generic information pursuant to subsection 201(1A) of the Social Security (Administration) Act 1999.
The COA- objection Assessor, [named], was excellent. I was assured all was done to make the situation equitable. My yearly taxable income to include the super withdrawn (and the tax) was increased to cover my daughter's dental costs, and that income was spread across the whole financial year. I am applying because half of the cost for the dental still sits as a NAP, as the other party didn't agree that the braces and dental work needed to happen. This dental cost is the second super withdrawal I have made to fix my daughter's teeth. In filling out his form today, I am listing myself as the receiving parent for the first time since early in our separation. We had a 50/50 shared care arrangement obtained in FCWA, but this did not transpire. As our youngest is turning 18 in 12/25, it looks unlikely that the NAP will be reconciled. I have a debt which is similar amount to the NAP, and I hoped in light of this a review of the monies owed. Could they potentially cancel each other out? I would appreciate a revision of the whole dental costs process, if it's possible, as the first application I was not in the best form. I can't recall the details re the first extra costs dental claim. Im not sure whether my taxable income was increased to include the first super payment and the tax loading. If a reason is needed for the lateness of requesting a review of the first dental claim, there are a few. I would not have considered an AAT review due to capacity and opportunity. I am doing this claim now (for the second dental claim) as it was suggested by my Case Manager as an option. I include the first dental claim her as an opportunity to reconcile both orthodontic claims.
(a) documentary material provided by Child Support on 26 June 2024 (Exhibit 1, pages 1 to 630);
(b) supplementary documentary material provided by Child Support on 25 November 2024 (Exhibit 1, pages 631 to 683);
(c) further supplementary documentary material provided by Child Support on 18 December 2024 (Exhibit 1, pages 684 to 696);
(d) further supplementary documentary material provided by Child Support on 16 January 2025 (Exhibit 1, pages 697 to 772);
(e) further supplementary documentary material provided by Child Support on 3 March 2025 (Exhibit 1, pages 773 to 794);
(f) documents received from Mrs Lanachan (Exhibit A, pages A1 to A72); and
(g) documents received from Mr Lanachan (Exhibit B, pages B1 to B37).
The part which a governmental policy should ordinarily play in the determinations of the Tribunal is a matter for the Tribunal to determine, in the context of the particular case, informed by considerations of the desirability of consistency of administrative decisions, but balanced against the ideal of justice in the individual case (Hneidi v Minster for Immigration and Citizenship [2010] FCAFC 20: (2010) 182 FCR 115 at [43]). Further, it is well-established that the Tribunal must make the correct or preferable decision in each case on the material before it and that the Tribunal is at liberty to adopt whatever policy it chooses, or no policy at all, in fulfilling its statutory function (Re Drake and Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs (No 2) (1979) 2 ALD 634 at 642-643 per Brennan J). The important matter is compliance with the terms of the relevant statute itself Minster for Home Affairs v G [2019] FCAFC 79; (2019) 266 FCR 569.
(a) a ground for a change of assessment has been established;
(b) a change of assessment would be just and equitable as regards the children and each parent; and
(c) a change of assessment would be otherwise proper.
(a) Does a ground, specified in subsection 117(2), exist to depart from the administrative assessment?
(b) Would it be just and equitable as regards the children and each parent to depart from the administrative assessment of child support? And
(c) Would it be otherwise proper to make a particular departure determination?
(a) to explore ways of paying down the prescribed private payments (PPPs) raised due to dental costs;
(b) that her adjusted taxable income for the 2023/24 financial year be reduced by $10,457 rather than $7,111 as decided by Child Support, to reflect the true costs to her including tax payable upon withdrawing the monies from superannuation to pay for dental costs for [Child 2]; and
(c) to adjust her Child Support liability for the 2021/22 financial year in relation to income reconciliation following an estimate.
Issue 1 - Does a ground exist to depart from the administrative assessment?
(b) ... in the special circumstances of the case, the costs of maintaining the child are significantly affected:
Issue 2 - Would it be just and equitable as regards the children and each parent to depart from the administrative assessment of child support?
(a) the nature of the duty of a parent to maintain a child (as stated in section 3); and
(c) the income, earning capacity, property and financial resources of the child; and
(d) the income, property and financial resources of each parent who is a party to the proceeding; and
(da) the earning capacity of each parent who is a party to the proceeding; and
(e) the commitments of each parent who is a party to the proceeding that are necessary to enable the parent to support:
(ii) any other child or another person that the person has a duty to maintain; and
(f) the direct and indirect costs incurred by the carer entitled to child support in providing care for the child; and
by the making of, or the refusal to make, the order; and
(B) any other child or another person that the liable parent has a duty to support;
by the making of, or the refusal to make, the order.
some of the matters listed in sub-section [117](4) may overlap with matters already considered under sub-section [117](2) and some of the paragraphs in sub-section (4) may be more significant in one case than they would be in another or of little relevance in a particular case. It is an essential part of the s.117 exercise to carry out the obligation under sub-section (4). However, that does not mean that it is necessary in each case to slavishly go through each of the paragraphs. The extent to which it is necessary to do so will depend upon the facts and conduct of the individual case and the analysis already performed under sub-section (2).
The nature of the duty of a parent to maintain a child
(a) The duty of a parent to maintain his or her child has priority over all commitments of the parent other than commitments necessary to enable the parent to support himself or herself and any other child or person that the parent has a duty to maintain.
(b) The level of support should be determined in accordance with the costs of children, and according to the parents' capacity to provide financial support.
The income, earning capacity, property and financial resources of the child
The income, property and financial resources and earning capacity of each parent who is a party to the proceeding
(7B) In having regard to the earning capacity of a parent of the child, the court may determine that the parent's earning capacity is greater than is reflected in his or her income for the purposes of this Act only if the court is satisfied that:
(i) the parent does not work despite ample opportunity to do so;
(ii) the parent has reduced the number of hours per week of his or her employment or other work below the normal number of hours per week that constitutes full‑time work for the occupation or industry in which the parent is employed or otherwise engaged;
(iii) the parent has changed his or her occupation, industry or working pattern; and
(b) the parent's decision not to work, to reduce the number of hours, or to change his or her occupation, industry or working pattern, is not justified on the basis of:
(c) the parent has not demonstrated that it was not a major purpose of that decision to affect the administrative assessment of child support in relation to the child.
Issue 3 - Would it be otherwise proper to make a particular departure determination?
The Tribunal varies the decision under review so that for the period 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2024 the income used in the assessment for Mrs Lanachan is to be decreased by $10,457.
[3] Later amended to $95,555, Exhibit 1, page 769
(2019) 266 FCR 569
(2010) 182 FCR 115