Chamberlain and Sievers

This matter concerned parenting orders for a child born in August 2001, with Justice Austin presiding. The dispute involved the mother and father regarding the child's residence and parental responsibility.

The court was required to determine the terms of new parenting orders, including arrangements for the child's living arrangements, parental responsibility, and communication between the parents. Specific issues included the geographical restrictions on the child's residence, the division of time between each parent, and provisions for the child's schooling and extracurricular activities. The court also addressed the parents' obligations regarding communication, the child's welfare, and the prohibition of certain behaviours, such as denigration of the other parent or corporal punishment.

Justice Austin discharged all former parenting orders and established equal shared parental responsibility. The orders detailed specific living arrangements for the child between the parents, including transitional provisions and holiday arrangements, with a significant relocation to far north Queensland from October 2010. The court also mandated enrolment in a post-separation parenting program and the maintenance of a communication book. Provisions were made for the child's schooling, communication between parents and child, and the prohibition of corporal punishment and denigration. The parties also acknowledged an obligation to engage in therapeutic counselling.