DALTON & RUDOV AND ANOR

The applicants, a grandfather and another party, sought final parenting orders in the Federal Circuit Court. The respondent, presumably the child's parent, opposed the application. The specific nature of the dispute, beyond the seeking of parenting orders, is not detailed in the provided text.

The primary legal issue before the court was whether to grant the grandfather leave to file an application for substantive parenting orders without first obtaining a certificate from an independent children's lawyer or family counsellor, as typically required by section 60I of the *Family Law Act 1975* (Cth). The court also considered the appropriate course of action regarding the existing application and any potential interim parenting orders.

Cronin J determined that the grandfather should be granted leave to file his application for substantive parenting orders without the usual section 60I certificate. This suggests the court found exceptional circumstances or a compelling reason to bypass the standard pre-application requirements. The court also made provision for the application to be listed for interim parenting orders if filed, indicating a willingness to consider immediate arrangements for the child's welfare.

Consequently, the court ordered that the application filed on 28 January 2014 be dismissed, subject to the grandfather filing his application for final orders. If an application for interim parenting orders were filed, it was to be listed for a specific date. The grandfather was granted leave to file his substantive application without the section 60I certificate.