Dawson and Wright (No. 2)

In *Dawson and Wright (No. 2)*, Cronin J considered parenting orders concerning two children, C and D. The dispute involved the father's application and the mother's response, with the court ultimately discharging all extant parenting orders and making new arrangements for the children's care and parental responsibility.

The court was required to determine the appropriate parenting arrangements for the children, including issues of parental responsibility for long-term decisions, the children's residence, and the time they would spend with each parent. The court also had to consider the admissibility and weight of the evidence presented by both parties, particularly in light of the Family Law Act 1975 (Cth) and the Evidence Act 1995 (Cth), and the mother's history as a litigant in the court.

Cronin J applied principles of family law to determine the best interests of the children, considering the evidence presented by both parents. The judge found the father's evidence to be plausible and consistent, while noting that complaints about his parenting were not significant and an accusation of sexual impropriety was implausible. The mother, despite her assertions of unfamiliarity with federal courts, was found to be well-prepared and made forensic decisions regarding her case presentation. The court ultimately ordered that the father have sole parental responsibility for major long-term decisions until a specified date, after which equal shared parental responsibility would apply. The children were ordered to live with their father, with specific arrangements for their time with their mother, including during school holidays and Christmas.

The court discharged all extant parenting orders and the order appointing the Independent Children's Lawyer. The mother's application and the father's response were otherwise dismissed, save for issues of costs. New orders were made regarding parental responsibility, residence, time spent with each parent, communication, and the father's authority to obtain passports for the children without the mother's consent. The father was also directed to engage with a counsellor to assist the children in adjusting to the orders.