Haden and Nestor

In the matter of *Haden and Nestor*, heard before Rees J, the dispute concerned the interpretation and application of existing court orders regarding school holidays in the context of parenting arrangements. The parties sought clarification on the precise commencement and conclusion dates of school holidays as they related to the children's attendance at school and the commencement of holiday periods.

The central legal issue before the court was to determine a clear and unambiguous definition of "school holidays" for the purposes of the parenting orders. This involved establishing a consistent rule for when school holidays would commence and end, to avoid future disputes and ensure certainty for the parties involved in the parenting arrangements.

Rees J reasoned that the existing orders lacked the necessary precision to define the commencement and conclusion of school holidays. To address this, the court vacated the previous order and substituted a new one. The new order stipulated that school holidays would commence on the morning of the day immediately following the last day of the school term and conclude on the evening of the day immediately before the children were due to attend school in the next term. This provided a clear, objective definition to govern the parenting arrangements.