Bento & Bento

In the matter of *Bento & Bento*, decided by Burr J, the court considered a dispute between the parties concerning parenting arrangements for their children and the division of their property. The parties were experiencing significant conflict and an inability to communicate effectively, which formed a central consideration in the parenting orders.

The legal issues before the court were twofold: firstly, to determine the most appropriate parenting arrangements for the children, specifically regarding issues of equal shared parental responsibility and decision-making authority; and secondly, to determine a just and equitable division of the parties' property pool, taking into account their respective financial circumstances and future earning capacities.

His Honour ordered that the parties have equal shared parental responsibility for the children, with the exception of decisions relating to schooling and non-urgent medical conditions. In relation to property settlement, the court found that the wife had a greater capacity for future gainful employment, while the husband possessed greater superannuation entitlements. After considering the wife's future responsibility as the predominant carer of the young children, a 10% adjustment was made in her favour, resulting in an order that the wife receive 70% of the property pool and the husband receive 30%.