AKOL & MAGEED

In the matter of AKOL & MAGEED, heard in the Family Court of Australia before Judge Antoni Lucev, the dispute concerned parental responsibility and time spent with the children, as well as an application by the father to change the children's surname.

The court was required to determine the extent of parental responsibility to be allocated between the mother and father, the specific arrangements for the father's time spent with the children, and whether it possessed the jurisdiction to order a change of the children's surname.

The court ordered that the mother have sole parental responsibility for the four children. It also made specific orders regarding the father's fortnightly time spent with the children, including weekday time during school holidays, and stipulated that these handovers would occur at a designated park. Further orders mandated the mother to inform the father of the children's medical attendances and provide school reports, and directed both parents and the children to attend counselling to address issues relating to paternity and the children's relationship with the father. The father was also ordered to undertake parenting skills counselling. All other extant applications were dismissed, and there were no orders as to costs.