Andrews and Killarney

This matter concerned parenting orders made by Justice Murphy in the Family Court of Australia. The dispute involved the living arrangements and time spent between a child and his parents. The court made orders for the child to live with the Father and to spend time with the Mother, with the specifics of this contact to be arranged by a Family Consultant.

The court was required to determine the best interests of the child in relation to his living arrangements and contact with his parents. Central to this determination was the role of a Family Consultant, Ms S, who was appointed to supervise compliance with the parenting orders, provide assistance to the parties, and assess various aspects of the child's relationship with both parents, including the father's willingness to facilitate contact and the mother's capacity to rebuild a relationship. The court also considered whether additional supervised contact at a specific centre was in the child's best interests.

Justice Murphy applied the principles of the *Family Law Act 1975*, particularly section 65L, which empowers the court to order the appointment of a Family Consultant to assist in the carrying out of parenting orders. The court's reasoning focused on ensuring the child's welfare by facilitating a structured and supervised process for rebuilding the parent-child relationship, with ongoing assessment by a professional. The court also directed the preparation of psychiatric reports for both parties and an assessment by the Independent Children's Lawyer regarding the child's interview.

The matter was adjourned for further directions, with specific instructions for the Family Consultant to provide a report on various issues, including the child's best interests regarding additional supervised contact. The court also ordered that particulars of the obligations and consequences of contravening the orders, along with information on available assistance, be provided to the parties via a Fact Sheet.