Bafford & Bafford

In the matter of *Bafford & Bafford*, heard by Dunkley J, the applicant mother and respondent father sought orders concerning their five children. The dispute centred on the parenting arrangements for the children, including where they would live, the extent of their time with each parent, and the conditions under which such time would occur.

The court was required to determine the most appropriate parenting orders for the children, considering the welfare and best interests of the children as paramount. This involved assessing the capacity of each parent to provide care, the need for supervision of the father's time with the children, and the implications of the father's alcohol consumption and mental health issues. The court also had to consider the practical arrangements for the children's schooling and medical care.

Dunkley J made orders granting the mother sole parental responsibility and primary residence for the children. The father was granted supervised time with the children on Sundays and Thursdays, with the supervision to be provided by the paternal grandparents. Crucially, the father was ordered to undergo regular Carbohydrate-Deficient Transferrin (CDT) testing and was prohibited from consuming alcohol, with his time with the children to be suspended upon any breach of these conditions or a positive CDT test. The father was also ordered to continue engaging with his medical and psychological treatment. The orders also addressed the mother's obligation to inform the father of the children's medical appointments and to facilitate his access to their school reports.