Blaney and Hutchins

In the matter of *Blaney and Hutchins*, heard before McClelland J, the dispute concerned an application by the mother for permission to travel overseas with the child, T, for a period of 10 months. The father opposed this application, seeking to ensure his continued involvement in the child's life during the proposed period of absence.

The central legal issue before the court was whether to grant the mother's application for international travel with the child, and if so, what conditions should be imposed to safeguard the father's relationship with T and ensure the child's welfare. This involved balancing the mother's desire to travel with the child against the father's right to spend time with and remain informed about his child.

McClelland J ordered that the mother be permitted to travel overseas with the child for 10 months, commencing 1 September 2017. This permission was made subject to several conditions designed to facilitate the father's contact with the child. These included the mother paying $15,000 to the father to enable him to spend time with T during three block periods within the 10 months, facilitating liberal Skype communication between the child and father, and ensuring the father received updates on the child's health and education, including school reports. The court also specified that the father should have at least three periods of time with the child, each of approximately 13 or 14 days, during the mother's absence. Existing court orders from 3 December 2010 were suspended to the extent necessary to give effect to these new arrangements.