Gladstone and Aitken

In the matter of Gladstone and Aitken, heard by Judge McGuire, the dispute concerned parenting orders for a child, X, born in 2013. The orders sought to establish the future living arrangements and time spent between X and his parents.

The court was required to determine the most appropriate orders for X, considering the principles of equal shared parental responsibility and the child's best interests. Specifically, the court had to decide on the extent of shared parental responsibility, where X would primarily reside, whether the mother should be permitted to relocate X's principal place of residence, and the specific arrangements for X to spend time and communicate with his father.

Judge McGuire discharged all extant orders and made new orders reflecting equal shared parental responsibility. The court ordered that X live with the mother and permitted her to relocate X's principal place of residence to Victoria. The father was granted specific time with X on a four-weekly cycle, including consecutive weekends in Melbourne and additional weekday time, with flexibility for agreed times and notification requirements. The court also ordered the parties to attend mediation in February 2015 to explore increasing X's time with his father. The mother was noted to be able to provide accommodation for the father on his weekends.