Green and Green

This matter concerned orders made by Judge Harland in the Federal Circuit Court of Australia, by consent, between the parents of two children, [X] and [Y]. The dispute revolved around parenting arrangements for the children, including their residence, time spent with each parent, and educational matters.

The court was required to determine the specific parenting orders to be made, addressing issues of equal shared parental responsibility, the children's schooling, and their living arrangements based on the mother's potential return to a particular suburb. Further, the court needed to establish detailed provisions for the children's time with each parent during school holidays, special occasions, and for communication between parents and children. The court also noted the father's ability to rely on his mother for childcare assistance if work commitments prevented him from personally caring for the children.

The court's reasoning was based on the consent of both parties, leading to the making of specific orders that reflected their agreement. These orders established equal shared parental responsibility and mandated the re-enrolment of the children at their previous school. The court then outlined conditional living arrangements for the children, contingent on the mother's decision to return to Suburb D, with provisions for equal week-about care or sole residence with the father. Detailed arrangements were also made for school holidays, special days, and communication, alongside orders for parents to complete post-separation parenting courses and engage in counselling. The father was also directed to file further documents concerning property matters.