Clarke & Snider

This matter concerned an application for parenting orders in relation to two children, N and D. The applicants were the maternal aunt and maternal grandmother of the children, and the respondents were the children's father and mother.

The court was required to determine the most appropriate arrangements for the children's living situation and time spent with each parent, considering the best interests of the children. Key issues included the allocation of parental responsibility, the children's residence, and the nature and extent of the father's and mother's contact with the children.

The court ordered that the applicant maternal aunt and grandmother have equal shared parental responsibility for the children and that the children live with them. The respondent father was granted specific, alternate weekend contact during school terms, with a provision allowing the children to refuse contact if they expressed significant opposition. The father was also to have contact on Father's Day and required to provide six weeks' written notice before commencing contact. The respondent mother was permitted to spend time with the children at the applicants' home upon notification. The orders also included provisions for communication between parties, disclosure of information regarding the children's health and education, and prohibitions against denigrating other parties in the presence of the children. The court also noted that particulars of obligations and consequences of contravention were set out in an attached Fact Sheet, pursuant to sections 65DA(2) and 62B of the relevant legislation. Leave was granted for the respondents to apply in respect of these orders within twenty-eight days of service.