DALLON & PATAU

In this matter before Moore J, the court was concerned with orders relating to a child born in February 2003. The dispute involved the parents' respective responsibilities and the arrangements for the child's living arrangements and time spent with each parent.

The primary legal issues before the court were the determination of parental responsibility, including specific decision-making powers regarding the child's education, and the establishment of a detailed schedule for the child's time with each parent. The court was also required to consider measures to ensure the child's welfare and to prevent derogatory remarks being made about either parent in the child's presence.

Moore J ordered that previous orders concerning the child be discharged. The court established equal shared parental responsibility for the parents, with the exception that the mother would have sole responsibility for decisions regarding the child's schooling and education, with a requirement to inform the father in writing and ensure he receives school reports. The child was ordered to live with the mother, and a comprehensive schedule for the child's time with the father was set out, with specific provisions for supervised contact initially, transitioning to alternate weekends and mid-week time, and a division of school holidays. The court also made orders regarding the collection and return of the child for changeovers, and importantly, granted injunctions restraining both parents from making derogatory remarks about the other parent or their family to the child, and further ordered that the child's name be placed on the Airport Watch List to prevent her removal from Australia.