GRANDHOUSE & GRANDHOUSE

This matter concerned parenting orders for a child born in November 2005, with the proceedings heard by Le Poer Trench J. The dispute revolved around the arrangements for the child's living situation, parental responsibility, and time spent with each parent.

The court was required to determine the appropriate orders regarding the child's long-term welfare, including who would have sole parental responsibility, where the child would live, and the nature and extent of the time the child would spend with each parent. The court also had to consider provisions for communication between the child and the mother, and the conduct of the parents towards each other and their families.

Le Poer Trench J discharged all previous parenting orders and made new orders granting the father sole parental responsibility for the child. The child was ordered to live with the father. The mother was to have supervised time with the child, with specific arrangements detailed for the period before and after the child commenced kindergarten. The court also imposed restrictions on the parents, restraining them from denigrating each other in the child's presence. Importantly, the court made recommendations for the mother to undertake psychological therapy to address the impact of her actions concerning allegations of abuse and to develop strategies for dealing with the child's statements. The mother may seek a variation of the orders relating to her time with the child upon completion of this therapy and provision of a satisfactory report from her therapist.