Betts and Mullah

In the matter of *Betts and Mullah*, heard by Judge Altobelli, the dispute concerned parenting orders for a child born in 2009. The court was required to determine the living arrangements for the child, the extent of time the child would spend with each parent, and the terms of their communication and co-operation regarding the child's education and health.

The court's reasoning focused on establishing a framework for the child's care and development. It vacated all previous parenting orders and ordered that the child live with the mother. The father was granted specific, supervised time with the child, commencing with limited contact and gradually increasing over two months, with provisions for the father to collect the child from preschool and return them to the mother's residence, with a specific instruction regarding his entry onto the mother's property.

Furthermore, the court mandated that both parents cooperate in enrolling the child in preschool, with the father having the choosing of the facility if agreement could not be reached. Both parties were also ordered to authorise the sharing of health and educational reports and to keep each other informed of significant developments. The court also imposed strict orders restraining the parents from discussing the proceedings or criticising each other in the child's presence, and granted leave for the Independent Children's Lawyer to relist the matter. The case was adjourned for an interim hearing, with directions for the filing of updated affidavits and minutes of order, and the Independent Children's Lawyer was granted leave to issue subpoenas.