Dickens and Ventura

The case of Dickens and Ventura concerned parenting orders for two children, B and C. The dispute involved the mother and father and was heard by Hannam J.

The court was required to determine the appropriate parenting arrangements for the children, including issues of parental responsibility, living arrangements, and time spent with each parent. The court also considered the role of supervised contact, the children's wishes, and the involvement of a therapist.

Hannam J discharged all previous parenting orders and made new orders reflecting a significant shift in the children's living arrangements and the father's contact. The mother was granted sole parental responsibility for the children, with the children to live with her. The father was granted limited, supervised time with the children on four occasions annually, with specific conditions regarding the duration and composition of that time. The court also made orders concerning communication, notification of illness, ongoing therapy for the children and parents, and the provision of contact details. The court further stipulated that the children's wishes would be paramount regarding time with the father once they reached the age of 15.