Granville & Blakeslee

The appeal was brought by the mother against a decision made by Faulks DCJ concerning the parental arrangements for her three children. The dispute centred on the allocation of shared parental responsibility and the specific arrangements for the children’s time-sharing. The case was heard in the Family Court of Australia.

The central legal issue before the court was whether the decision made by Faulks DCJ on 19 May 2016 regarding the shared parental responsibility of the parents was correct. Specifically, the court had to determine if the parents should have equal shared parental responsibility and if the original order should be altered to reflect this. The mother argued for changes to the original order, while the father maintained the existing arrangements.

The court considered the best interests of the children as the paramount consideration. It found that the original order did not adequately reflect the parents' equal capacity to share parental responsibility. The court emphasised the importance of both parents being involved in the children’s lives and concluded that equal shared parental responsibility was in the children's best interests. Consequently, the court allowed the appeal in part, setting aside the original order and substituting it with one that granted equal shared parental responsibility to both parents. The remainder of the appeal was dismissed. The court also directed the parties to file written submissions regarding the costs of the appeal.