Biggs and Biggs and Anor

The case of *Biggs and Biggs and Anor* concerned an application before Hogan J in the Family Court of Australia. The dispute involved the parental responsibility and living arrangements for a child, C, born in 2011. The court was required to determine the terms of orders concerning the child's upbringing and contact with both parents, as well as the maternal family.

The primary legal issues before the court were the allocation of parental responsibility for major long-term issues, the specific arrangements for the child's time with each parent and the maternal family, and the communication and information-sharing protocols between the parties regarding the child's welfare and education. The court also had to consider the consequences of contravening any orders made, as stipulated by the *Family Law Act 1975* (Cth).

Hogan J made orders suspending the operation of a previous consent order and granted the father sole parental responsibility for major long-term issues, with a requirement to notify the mother in writing of any decisions within 24 hours. The court then detailed a schedule for the child to spend time with the father, commencing immediately and continuing until December 2016, after which the child was to live with the father. Specific arrangements were also made for the child to spend time with the maternal family, including on weekends and during the Christmas period, with provisions for transportation and communication. The orders also mandated information sharing regarding the child's health and education, and stipulated that any costs associated with obtaining such information would be borne by the requesting party. The court also included particulars of obligations and consequences of contravention, as set out in a fact sheet attached to the orders.