Collins and Bloom

In the matter of Collins and Bloom, Hogan J of the Family Court of Australia made orders by consent concerning the living arrangements and parental responsibility for four children, D, J, Y, and R. The dispute centred on the children's welfare and the extent of the father's involvement in their lives.

The court was required to determine the primary residence of the children, the allocation of parental responsibility for long-term decisions, and the nature and extent of the father's contact with the children. Additionally, the court had to consider the terms of an injunction to be imposed on the father's contact with the children and the conditions under which certain provisions of the orders might be stayed.

Hogan J ordered that the children live with the mother and that the mother have sole parental responsibility for all major long-term issues concerning the children, as defined by the *Family Law Act 1975* (Cth). The father was permitted to spend time with the children at a contact centre, subject to specific conditions including supervision, frequency, and cost allocation. Crucially, an injunction was issued restraining the father from any contact or approach of the children, save for the supervised contact arrangements. The orders also stipulated circumstances under which the supervised contact provisions could be stayed, including the father's written notification of his intention not to attend contact, or his failure to attend for three consecutive occasions.