COGGINS & TEBBITT

This matter concerned parenting orders sought by the applicant mother, Ms Coggins, against the respondent father, Mr Tebbitt, regarding their child, X. The proceedings were before Judge Morley in the Federal Circuit Court of Australia. The hearing proceeded undefended, with the court satisfied that service on the respondent father had been properly effected.

The court was required to determine the parenting arrangements for the child X, including issues of parental responsibility, the child's residence, and the father's time with the child. Additionally, the court had to consider the mother's application for sole parental responsibility concerning the child's Australian and French passports, dispensing with the father's consent. The court also had to make orders regarding the service of its final orders on the respondent father.

In reaching its decision, the court applied the paramount consideration of the best interests of the child, as mandated by section 60CA of the *Family Law Act 1975*. The court found that the orders sought by the applicant mother were in the best interests of X. The court discharged previous orders made in 2011 and made new orders granting the mother sole parental responsibility for X, including for passport applications. X was ordered to live with the mother, and any time spent between X and the father was to be at the mother's discretion. The court also made specific orders concerning the time limit for any future applications by the father and permitted substituted service of the current orders. The court noted its intention to have these orders registered for enforcement in Country B, the father's usual place of residence.