Crook and Major

In the Federal Circuit Court of Australia, Judge Harland presided over proceedings involving the parties, Crook and Major, concerning their child, X. The dispute centred on arrangements for the child, including parental time, communication, and the child's independent representation.

The court was required to determine several key issues. These included the appointment and role of an independent children's lawyer, the need for psychiatric assessments of the parents, the terms of supervised parental time for the father, and the facilitation of Skype communication between the father and the child. Additionally, the court considered the father's ability to appear by telephone at a future hearing and the deposit of the child's passport.

Judge Harland applied the principles of the *Family Law Act 1975*, specifically section 68L(2), to appoint an independent children's lawyer and outline their responsibilities, including filing a notice of address, obtaining relevant documents, adhering to published guidelines, and preparing recommendations for final orders. The court also ordered psychiatric assessments for both parents, with arrangements to be made by the independent children's lawyer. Supervised time for the father was ordered, to be facilitated by the mother's husband, and Skype communication was mandated. The father was granted leave to appear by telephone at the interim contested hearing, and parties were directed to file and serve material in advance. The child's passport was ordered to be deposited with the court.