Eriksson and Eriksson

The parties to this matter were the Father and the Mother, who were in dispute regarding the parenting arrangements for their child. The case was heard by O'Ryan J.

The court was required to determine the specific orders concerning the child's living arrangements, parental responsibility, and communication between the parents. This included establishing a schedule for when the child would live with each parent, the geographical restrictions on the Mother changing residence, and provisions for communication, information sharing, and the child's welfare, including medical care and immunisations. The court also had to consider orders relating to the removal of the child from Australia and the conduct of the parents towards each other in the child's presence.

O'Ryan J made detailed orders addressing these issues. The court ordered equal shared parental responsibility, with the Mother having primary responsibility for the child's day-to-day care when the child lived with her, and the Father having similar responsibility when the child lived with him. A comprehensive schedule was set out for the child's living arrangements with each parent, which evolved over time, including provisions for weekends, school holidays, birthdays, and special days. The Mother's ability to relocate was restricted to within 20 kilometres of her current residence or within the Sydney Metropolitan Area. The orders also mandated liberal telephone communication between the child and each parent, required the parents to share information regarding the child's health and significant events, and stipulated that neither parent should speak derogatorily of the other in the child's presence. Furthermore, the court made orders restraining the removal of the child from Australia without consent or a court order and placed the child's name on an Airport Watchlist. The Father was also ordered to pay a portion of the costs of the Independent Children's Lawyer and a court expert.