Goodson and Staples

In *Goodson and Staples*, heard before Cleary J, the court was required to determine parenting orders concerning two children, X and Y. The dispute centred on the arrangements for the children's living situation, time spent with each parent, and the allocation of parental responsibility, particularly in light of the father's conduct.

The primary legal issues before the court were: (1) whether to discharge existing parenting orders; (2) the allocation of sole parental responsibility; (3) the children's residence; (4) the nature and extent of the father's time with the children, including the requirement for supervised contact; and (5) orders restraining denigration and the disclosure of sensitive personal information to the children.

Cleary J reasoned that the existing parenting orders should be discharged and that the mother should have sole parental responsibility and the children should live with her. The court ordered that the father's time with the children would be supervised and significantly restricted, commencing with supervised contact for a limited duration on specific dates, with a condition that failure to attend without prior explanation would result in the permanent discharge of this contact order. Future contact would be by agreement, failing which no contact would occur. The court also imposed orders restraining denigration of either parent and restricted the father from discussing serious medical conditions with the children without prior disclosure to the mother.