Hajjar and Mehraal

In the matter of *Hajjar and Mehraal*, Bennett J of the Family Court of Australia made orders concerning the attendance of the parties and their children for a family assessment. The dispute involved parenting arrangements for the children, F, S, and T.

The primary legal issue before the Court was the appropriate course of action to facilitate a comprehensive assessment of the children's issues and the parents' capacity to care for them, in accordance with section 11F of the *Family Law Act 1975*. This involved determining the logistics of such an assessment, including the attendance of the father and mother, and the involvement of the children.

Bennett J ordered that the father attend a family consultant appointment in person, while the mother was to attend electronically. The father was also directed to bring the three children to the Court Registry for their appointments. The Court granted the Family Consultant discretion regarding the sequence and organisation of interviews, and the reservation of a place in the child-minding section for the children. The Family Consultant was requested to prepare a written Children and Parents Issues Assessment for distribution to the parties, their legal representatives, and the Court. The matter was subsequently adjourned to a date to be fixed upon receipt of this assessment.