Given a number of issues we are handling at the moment, it seems a worthwhile moment to remind parents about what the objects of the Child Support System are. Also, given some issues which we have had in dealing with the Child Support Agency and the Social Security Appeals Tribunal of late, it is also a worthwhile time to remind those ag…encies of the objects of the legislation that they are implementing and operating under. So here they both are:-

* The principal object of the child support assessment scheme is to ensure that children receive a proper level of financial support from their parents.
* The level of child support to be provided by parents for their children is to be determined according to their capacity to provide financial support and, in particular, that parents with a like capacity to provide financial support for their children should provide like amounts of financial support (i.e. not according to the income you choose to earn, but what you could reasonably be expected to earn).
* The level of financial support to be provided by parents for their children should be determined in accordance with the costs of the children (as opposed to the wish list some people put forward quite unrealistically).
* The level of child support payable ought vary so as children share in changes (up and down) in the standard of living of both their parents, whether or not they are living with both or either of them.

* In handling child support matters, the Child Support Agency and the Social Security Appeals Tribunal (where Child Support Appeals are heard at a particular stage), the objects of the legislation are specifically stated to be that the processes involved be handled in a way which is fair, just, economical, informal and quick.

Now if only people who work in this area and parties who are involved in child support matters could rote learn these objects (perhaps print them out and read them once a month), things might go a little more smoothly.