DUNBAR & PACKARD

The case involved a dispute between a mother and father concerning their child, X. The mother had unilaterally relocated the child to Adelaide, contrary to an interim order for the child's return to the father's location. The court was required to determine the parenting arrangements for the child, considering the child's best interests, and also to make orders regarding costs.

The primary legal issue before the court was to establish final parenting orders that would best serve the interests of the child, X. This involved determining with whom the child would live, the nature of parental responsibility, and the specific arrangements for the child's time with each parent, including during school holidays and on special occasions. The court also had to consider the application for costs made by the Independent Children's Lawyer (ICL).

Purdon-Sully J discharged all previous orders and parenting plans. The court ordered that the child, X, live with the mother and that the parents have equal shared parental responsibility for major long-term issues. Detailed provisions were made for consultation and decision-making regarding significant issues, including relocation and medical interventions, with a requirement for family dispute resolution if agreement could not be reached. The orders also stipulated specific arrangements for the child's time with the father, including alternate weekends and a division of school holidays, along with provisions for communication, changeovers, health, and schooling. The father was ordered to pay $3,825.50 towards the costs of the Independent Children's Lawyer.