Grant and Attard

In the matter of *Grant and Attard*, Thornton J of the Family Court of Australia considered a dispute concerning the parenting arrangements for a child, B, born in 2007. The proceedings involved applications relating to the child's residence, parental responsibility, and contact with both parents.

The court was required to determine the most appropriate parenting orders for the child, taking into account the child's best interests. This involved assessing the level of parental responsibility each parent should have, where the child should live, the nature and extent of any contact the mother should have with the child, and measures to ensure the child's personal protection. The court also had to consider the issue of passports for the child and the role of the Independent Children's Lawyer.

Thornton J applied the principles of the *Family Law Act 1975* (Cth), particularly section 68B concerning injunctions for the personal protection of a child. The reasoning behind the orders indicates a significant concern for the child's safety and well-being, leading to the mother's contact being supervised and restricted to specific locations and times, at her expense. The court also made orders regarding communication between the parents, the child's schooling, and the obtaining of a passport for the child, authorising the father to do so without the mother's consent.

The court ordered the discharge of all previous parenting orders and dismissed all extant parenting applications. The father was granted sole parental responsibility for the child, with the child to live with him. The mother's time with the child was to be supervised and at her expense, with specific injunctions in place to protect the child from the mother's approach. The Independent Children's Lawyer was discharged, and the father was permitted to obtain a passport for the child.