BRADY & BRADY

In the matter of *BRADY & BRADY*, heard by Judge Costigan, the dispute concerned parenting arrangements for three children aged 13, 16, and 17 at the time of the hearing. The father sought supervised time with the children, progressing to unsupervised time and a return to arrangements previously established by consent orders in 2012. The mother, however, proposed no time for the father. The father had not spent time with the children for four years prior to the hearing.

The court was required to determine the best interests of the children in light of the proposed parenting arrangements. This involved assessing the father's application for contact against the mother's proposal of no contact, considering the significant period of estrangement and the ages of the children.

The court's reasoning focused on the paramount consideration of the children's best interests. Given the substantial time that had elapsed since the father last spent time with the children, and the children's ages, the court determined that it was not in their best interests to order the supervised or unsupervised time sought by the father. Instead, the court discharged all previous orders and made new orders reflecting the mother having sole parental responsibility for the children, with the children to live with her. The mother was directed to notify the father of long-term decisions, consider his input, and inform him of her final decision. Provisions were also made for the father to send gifts, letters, or cards to the children, and for the mother to notify him of medical emergencies and authorise communication with healthcare professionals and schools.