Eastlake & Eastlake

In the matter of *Eastlake & Eastlake*, heard by Young J, the applicant father and respondent mother were in dispute concerning the parenting arrangements for their child, X, born in 2014.

The court was required to determine the primary issues of where the child would live, the extent of time the child would spend with each parent, and the nature of their parental responsibility. Additionally, the court considered orders relating to the child's schooling, prohibitions on denigration and discussion of proceedings with the child, and the attendance of the parties at a child dispute conference.

His Honour made orders for the father to deliver the child to the mother on the day of the order, establishing equal shared parental responsibility. The child was ordered to live with the mother, with specific provisions for the child to spend time with the father on a rotating weekly basis, commencing from a specified date. The court also ordered that all changeovers occur at a designated police station and that both parents be identified as enrolling parents for the child's school. Injunctions were granted restraining both parties from denigrating each other or discussing the proceedings with the child. The parties were also ordered to attend a reportable child dispute conference, following which a family consultant was to provide advice to the court. The matter was adjourned for mention in Darwin, with parties granted leave to attend by telephone.