Coulston and Walters

This matter concerned orders made by Judge Altobelli regarding the living arrangements and time spent between the Father and his two children, X and Y. The children resided with the Mother in Perth, Western Australia. The dispute centred on the terms of parental responsibility, the children's time with the Father, and various conditions attached to these arrangements.

The court was required to determine the extent of sole and equal shared parental responsibility for specific issues, including relocation, the children's names, and the detailed arrangements for the children's time with the Father. Further issues included the conditions under which the Father could spend time with the children, particularly concerning accommodation, substance use, and the involvement of paternal relatives. The court also addressed communication between the children and their parents, the Father's participation in specific courses, and drug testing requirements.

Judge Altobelli made orders that the Mother have sole parental responsibility for the children, except for issues of relocation outside the Perth region and the children's names, for which there would be equal shared parental responsibility. Specific, detailed provisions were made for the children's time with the Father, including holiday arrangements, travel costs, and conditions for overnight stays, particularly in 2016. Additional conditions were imposed on the Father, such as undertaking anger management and parenting courses, and submitting to random urinalyses, with the Independent Children's Lawyer to oversee aspects of this testing. Both parents were restrained from speaking negatively about each other in the children's presence and from discussing proceedings or their relationship in front of the children. The Mother was ordered to pay a contribution towards the costs incurred by the Legal Aid Commission for representing the children.