Galanis & Macris

This matter concerned parenting orders made by Judge Scarlett in the Federal Circuit Court of Australia. The dispute involved the Applicant Mother and the Respondent Father regarding the care arrangements for their two children, X and Y.

The court was required to determine the appropriate orders for parental responsibility and the time the children would spend with each parent. Specifically, the court had to consider the division of long-term and day-to-day decision-making, the primary residence of the children, and the detailed schedule for the Father's time with the children, including during school holidays and special occasions. The court also had to address the practicalities of changeovers and the communication between parents regarding the children's well-being and schooling.

Judge Scarlett discharged all earlier parenting orders and made new orders reflecting equal shared parental responsibility for long-term decisions, while each parent was granted sole responsibility for day-to-day decisions concerning the children when they were in their care. The children were ordered to live with the Mother, and a comprehensive schedule was established for the Father's time with the children, encompassing alternate weekends, half of each school holiday period, specific Christmas and Easter arrangements, and time on birthdays. The court also stipulated that changeovers would generally occur at the children's school, with provisions for collection and return of the children. Importantly, the Father's time was suspended on certain occasions, including the weekend of Mother's Day and during Orthodox Easter when the children were in the Mother's care. The orders also included provisions for communication regarding the children's health and their involvement in school activities.