Feranti and Connor (No. 3)

In *Feranti and Connor (No. 3)*, Watt J of the Federal Circuit Court of Australia considered a dispute between a father and mother concerning parenting orders and contravention applications. The proceedings involved numerous applications filed by both parties, including contravention allegations by the father and various responses and applications by the mother.

The court was required to determine the appropriate costs orders for the father's contravention application, the transfer of all pending proceedings to a different registry, and whether to impose restrictions on the father's ability to file future contravention applications. Additionally, the court considered the appointment of an independent children's lawyer and the provision of recordings and transcripts by the father.

Watt J ordered that the father pay the mother's costs of his contravention application, with costs to be assessed on a party and party basis for some allegations and on an indemnity basis for others. The court further ordered the transfer of all pending proceedings to the South Australian Registry for mention before Burr J, with a direction that a specific letter from the Department of Families and Community Affairs be retained on the court file. The court requested consideration be given to appointing an independent children's lawyer based in South Australia's south east coast area. Crucially, the father was restrained from filing further contravention applications without court permission if there had been substantial compliance with parenting orders and his time with the child had not been significantly compromised. Finally, the father was ordered to provide recordings and transcripts of conversations with the child to the mother's solicitor by a specified date.