Dallas and the Director General, Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services & Ors

This matter came before Tree J in the Family Court of Australia, concerning parenting orders for a child born in 2009. The applicant, Ms Dallas, sought orders regarding the child's living arrangements and parental responsibility, with the Director General of the Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services and the child's parents, Ms Longley and Mr Burton, also involved in the proceedings.

The central legal issue before the court was to determine the most appropriate parenting orders for the child, considering the child's current care arrangements with the Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services. This involved deciding with whom the child should live, who should hold parental responsibility, and the nature of the ongoing relationship between the child and the parents.

Tree J discharged all previous parenting orders and made new orders contingent on the child ceasing to be under the care of the chief executive. The court ordered that the child live with Ms Dallas and that Ms Dallas have sole parental responsibility. Ms Dallas was directed to inform the parents of decisions made concerning the child, and the parents were to communicate with and spend time with the child as agreed between Ms Dallas and themselves. The court also dismissed all other extant applications and removed the matter from the active list. Further, pursuant to sections 65DA(2) and 62B of the relevant legislation, a Fact Sheet detailing the obligations, consequences of contravention, and available assistance was attached to and incorporated into the orders.