Frome and Frome

In the matter of *Frome and Frome*, heard before Murphy J, the parties sought consent orders regarding their children. The dispute concerned arrangements for the children's counselling and related costs, as well as amendments to previous orders concerning schooling.

The court was required to determine the terms of consent orders to be made, specifically addressing the cessation of existing counselling for one child, the attendance of the children and parties at new counselling sessions, the role and communication of the Independent Children's Lawyer with counsellors, the apportionment of counselling costs, and an amendment to a previous order regarding the children's schooling.

Murphy J made orders by consent, including that counselling for child S with Dr H cease forthwith. The parties and children were ordered to attend counselling as nominated by the Independent Children's Lawyer in consultation with Ms C, with the mother to facilitate attendance. The Independent Children's Lawyer was granted leave to publish documents to the counsellor and was to be the sole legal representative liaising with them. Each parent was to bear the costs of their individual sessions, while the father was to pay two-thirds of the costs for joint sessions and the mother one-third. An amendment was also made to a previous order to change the name of the children's school. The matter was adjourned to the Magellan Registrar for directions for a final hearing, estimated to be four days in mid to late July 2010. The court also directed that information from counsellors could be provided to the Independent Children's Lawyer to inform the court's decision on the children's best interests, with a caveat that confidentiality could be maintained if deemed therapeutically beneficial.