GRANTLEY & JACQUES

In the matter of *Grantley & Jacques*, Purdon-Sully J made orders concerning the living arrangements and parental responsibility for three children. The dispute involved the father seeking orders for the children to live with him, and the mother seeking to vary existing orders.

The court was required to determine the best interests of the children in relation to their residence and the allocation of parental responsibility. Specifically, the court considered how parental responsibility should be exercised, including communication and decision-making between the parents, and the specific time the mother would spend with the children, particularly the youngest child, [Z]. The court also addressed practical arrangements for the children's welfare, including communication protocols, counselling, and dispute resolution.

Purdon-Sully J ordered that the children live with the father and that both parents share equal parental responsibility, with specific provisions for consultation and communication regarding decisions. The court detailed a phased approach to the mother's time with the child [Z], commencing with supervised contact and progressing to unsupervised alternate weekends and significant portions of school holidays. The orders also mandated attendance at post-separation parenting programs, counselling for the father to facilitate reconnection with the children, and a framework for dispute resolution.

These orders were made in the absence of the mother, and she was granted liberty to apply to have them set aside pursuant to Rule 16.05(2)(a) of the Federal Circuit Court Rules 2001.