Bond and Bond

In *Bond and Bond*, Justice Fowler of the Family Court of Australia considered parenting orders concerning a child born in March 1994. The dispute involved the arrangements for the child's residence, parental responsibility, and the nature and extent of the father's contact with the child.

The court was required to determine the most appropriate parenting orders for the child, considering the child's best interests. This included deciding with whom the child should live, who should have parental responsibility, and the specific terms of communication and contact between the father and the child, particularly in light of the child's age and the existing circumstances.

Justice Fowler ordered that all previous parenting orders be discharged. The child was to live with the mother, who was granted sole parental responsibility. The father was permitted to send letters, gifts, and cards to the child unopened, and to communicate via email and webcam. The father was also permitted to provide a mobile telephone for communication, with all associated costs to be borne by him, and the mother was to ensure the child had privacy for such communications. Crucially, the father was restrained from face-to-face contact with the child. Both parties were enjoined from denigrating the other to the child. The court also ordered that the child be brought to the Independent Children's Lawyer to explain the orders, and that particulars of the obligations and consequences of contravention be included in the orders.