Gilliard and Gilliard

In the matter of Gilliard and Gilliard, Johnston J made parenting orders concerning the children L, B, and S, discharging all previous orders. The dispute centred on the arrangements for the children's living situation, time spent with each parent, communication between the parents and children, and the involvement of each parent in the children's lives.

The court was required to determine the most appropriate parenting arrangements for the children, considering the welfare and best interests of L, B, and S. This involved deciding on parental responsibility, where the children would live, the extent and nature of the father's time with the children, communication protocols, and specific restraints to be placed on both parents. The court also had to consider the need for therapeutic intervention for the mother and the children, and the allocation of costs associated with the proceedings, particularly the Independent Children's Lawyer.

Johnston J ordered that the mother have sole parental responsibility and that the children live with her. The father was to have no time with the children for an initial three-month period, followed by a phased-in approach to supervised and then unsupervised time. Specific communication arrangements were established, including monitored telephone calls. The court also imposed several restraints on the father, including restrictions on discussing the proceedings with the children and contacting the mother, and on attending the children's school. Both parents were restrained from denigrating the other. The mother was directed to seek therapy for herself and the children, with the father to meet half the costs of the Independent Children's Lawyer.