GLEESON & GLEESON

Harman J made orders concerning the time spent by children X, Y, and Z with their father, following a dispute between the parents. The orders also addressed the mother's engagement with psychological support and the role of the Independent Children's Lawyer.

The court was required to determine the appropriate arrangements for the children's time with their father, considering the need for a phased approach to unsupervised contact. Further issues included the mother's psychological well-being, her capacity to foster a healthy relationship between the children and their father, and the mother's past conduct, which the court found constituted emotional abuse causing harm to the children. The court also considered the need for clear communication and information sharing between the parents regarding the children's schooling and medical care.

Harman J applied principles of the *Family Law Act 1975* (Cth), particularly concerning the best interests of the children, and considered the International Convention on the Rights of the Child. The reasoning involved a detailed, step-by-step plan for increasing the father's contact with Z, commencing with supervised visits and gradually progressing to unsupervised overnight stays and shared holiday time. The court also mandated psychological counselling for the mother, with the Independent Children's Lawyer to provide relevant documents to the psychologist and the Director General of the Department of Human Services, highlighting the finding of emotional abuse. Orders were also made to ensure both parents were recognised as emergency contacts at the children's schools and were authorised to receive information from medical practitioners.

The court ordered that the children X and Y would spend time with the father as agreed between them. Child Z's time with the father was to commence on a supervised basis at a contact centre, progressing through monitored and then unsupervised visits of increasing duration and frequency, culminating in a shared parenting arrangement for weekends and school holidays. The mother was restrained from being within 100 metres of Z's school during pick-up and drop-off times. Both parents were restrained from denigrating each other in the children's presence and were ordered to exchange contact details and inform each other of serious injury or illness concerning the children. The mother was directed to attend psychological counselling, and the Independent Children's Lawyer was to notify the Director General of the Department of Human Services about the findings of emotional abuse. All outstanding applications were dismissed, and material produced on subpoena was to be returned or destroyed after the appeal period.