CALCOTE & RADANT

This matter concerned an application for relocation of a 13-year-old child, referred to as X, to New South Wales. The dispute involved the father seeking to relocate with the child, while the mother opposed this move. The case was heard by Judge Willis AM.

The court was required to determine whether the father's proposed relocation to New South Wales was in the best interests of the child, X. This involved assessing the child's strong alignment with the father and the potential positive impacts of the relocation on X's educational, social, and future working life. The court also had to consider the arrangements for the child's time with each parent following any relocation, including holiday arrangements and communication protocols.

The court's reasoning, based on the consent orders, indicated a finding that the relocation was in the child's best interests. The father was granted sole parental responsibility for long-term decisions concerning the child's care, welfare, and development, with a requirement to notify the mother of such decisions. The child was ordered to live with the father, and the father was permitted to relocate the child to New South Wales. Specific orders were made regarding the division of school holidays between the parents, travel arrangements, and communication, including regular telephone and FaceTime contact with the mother. The court also imposed restraints on the mother regarding her ability to direct the child's schooling and medical treatment, reflecting the father's sole parental responsibility in these areas. The Independent Children's Lawyer was directed to explain the orders to the child.