Brown and Bunson

In the matter of *Brown and Bunson*, heard before the Honourable Justice Carmody, the dispute concerned parenting orders for a child, B, born in August 2002. The orders addressed where the child would live and the arrangements for the child to spend time with each parent, as well as provisions for shared parental responsibility and communication.

The court was required to determine the specific living arrangements for the child, the schedule for the child's time with each parent, including during school holidays, and the nature of parental responsibility. Key issues included establishing conditions for the child living with the mother, ensuring equal shared parental responsibility, and outlining communication protocols between the parents. The court also needed to address dispute resolution mechanisms for future disagreements.

Justice Carmody ordered that the child, B, live with the mother and spend time with the father on an alternating weekly basis, with specific changeover arrangements at the child's pre-school or school. This live-with order was made conditional upon the mother not misusing drugs or alcohol while B was in her care. The court also stipulated equal sharing of pre-school and gazetted school holidays and mandated equal shared parental responsibility, requiring genuine consultation between the parents on significant occasions. Further orders included provisions for parental communication, notification of changes in contact details or significant information regarding the child, and a prohibition on denigrating the other parent in the child's presence. Any future disputes were to be resolved through consultation with a nominated family dispute resolution practitioner.