Bonham and Bradbury and Ors

This matter concerned parenting orders for two children, [X] and [Y], born in 2004 and 2006 respectively. The dispute involved the children's paternal grandmother, Ms Bradbury, and their mother. The court was required to determine the appropriate parenting arrangements for the children, including where they would live and who would have parental responsibility.

The central legal issues before the court were the allocation of parental responsibility and the living arrangements for the children, as well as the nature and extent of ongoing communication and contact between the children and their mother, and the role of the paternal grandmother in facilitating this. The court also had to consider measures to protect the children from parental conflict and ensure their welfare.

In its determination, the court ordered that the paternal grandmother, Ms Bradbury, have sole parental responsibility for the children and that the children live with her. While granting sole parental responsibility, the court also made detailed provisions to ensure the mother remained informed about the children's schooling and medical welfare, and to facilitate communication between the mother and children. Injunctions were also imposed to prevent the denigration of parties in the children's presence and to prohibit the children's exposure to parental conflict or family violence. Furthermore, the court ordered counselling for the mother and paternal grandmother to assist in progressing future arrangements for the children to spend time with their mother. The court also made orders restraining the mother, maternal grandmother, and paternal grandmother from bringing the children into contact with the father.