Beacon & Peevey (No 2)

In the matter of Beacon & Peevey (No 2), McGuire J of the Family Court of Australia considered parenting orders concerning a child, X, born in 2009. The dispute involved applications relating to the child's living arrangements, time spent with each parent, and communication. A contravention application was also before the court, which the court indicated would be subsumed into the substantive parenting applications.

The court was required to determine the weight to be given to the child's views in light of the parents' questionable insight into the child's needs. The court also had to consider the appropriate parenting orders to make in the best interests of X, including arrangements for X to live with the mother and spend time and communicate with the father.

McGuire J discharged all extant orders concerning X and made new orders reflecting equal shared parental responsibility. X was ordered to live with the mother, with specific provisions for X to spend time and communicate with the father. These provisions detailed various arrangements for school holidays, term-time contact, and travel, including notice periods and parental responsibilities for transport. The court also made orders regarding telephone contact for X with both parents and their respective families. All extant contravention applications were dismissed.