Churchill and Raske (No. 2)

This case concerned the children E and V, who were ordered to live with their mother. The mother was granted sole parental responsibility for long-term decisions regarding the children's welfare and development. The court also mandated that the mother provide monthly email reports to the father detailing the children's progress, including medical, schooling, and other daily activities.

The central legal issues before the court were the arrangements for the children's time with their father, the therapeutic interventions required for both parents and the children to facilitate reunification, and the supervision of contact. The court was required to determine the specific steps and timelines for counselling for the mother, father, and children, as well as the phased approach to supervised and unsupervised time between the father and the children, including the potential involvement of the paternal grandmother as a supervisor.

Justice Tree applied principles of child welfare and the importance of parental reunification, albeit in a carefully managed and supervised manner. The court ordered specific therapeutic counselling for the mother to assist in facilitating reunification and for the father to address his alcohol abuse and to optimise his reunification with the children. A phased approach to supervised contact was established, commencing at a contact centre and gradually transitioning to supervision by the paternal grandmother under strict conditions, with provisions for the father to employ an independent supervisor. The court also made orders regarding communication, relocation, and the appointment of a supervisor and an Independent Children's Lawyer to monitor compliance and assist the parties.