AU-YONG & WUL

In a family law matter before Cronin J, the wife, MS WUL, sought permission to travel to Taiwan with the child, J, for the period of her pregnancy and confinement. The husband opposed this application, raising concerns that the wife might be a flight risk. The court was also required to consider an application by the husband for details regarding the wife's pregnancy, and an extant interim order for spousal maintenance.

The primary legal issues before the court were whether to permit the wife to travel internationally with the child, and if so, under what conditions to mitigate the husband's concerns about the child's return. Additionally, the court had to determine the husband's entitlement to information about the wife's pregnancy and whether the existing spousal maintenance order should continue.

Cronin J granted the wife's application for international travel, imposing several strict conditions to ensure the child's return to Australia. These conditions included the wife providing her travel itinerary and accommodation details in Taiwan, depositing a $20,000 bank cheque as security for her return, and agreeing to facilitate regular Skype communication between the child and the husband. The court also ordered that the husband's existing time with the child arrangements be suspended while the wife and child were in Taiwan, with alternative arrangements for contact via Skype or in person if the husband travelled to Taiwan. The court discharged the interim spousal maintenance order and refused the husband's application for details of the wife's pregnancy.