HANANIA & HANANIA

This matter concerned an application before Foster J, involving the Father and the Mother, regarding parenting arrangements for their two children, B and C. The dispute centred on the specific terms of shared parental responsibility and the time the children would spend with each parent.

The court was required to determine the orders concerning equal shared parental responsibility for the children, the specific living arrangements and time each parent would have with the children, including provisions for weekends, weekdays, birthdays, and holidays. Further issues included arrangements for the transfer of the children between parents, notification of address changes, the sharing of information from schools and medical professionals, the children's attendance at counselling, and the prohibition of denigration of either parent. The court also had to address the payment of outstanding costs for the Independent Children's Lawyer.

By consent of the parties, the court made orders establishing equal shared parental responsibility. The children were ordered to live with the Father on alternate weekends, each Wednesday afternoon, and on specific days for Father's Day and birthdays, with detailed provisions for the timing of these arrangements. The children were to live with the Mother at all other times. The Father's time with the children was suspended on Mother's Day and the children's birthdays, with specific provisions for the Mother to spend time with them on those occasions. The orders also stipulated how changeovers would occur, the requirement for parties to inform each other of address changes, and the mutual authorisation for both parents to receive information from schools and medical professionals. Additionally, the parties were ordered to arrange for the children to attend counselling and were prohibited from denigrating each other. All outstanding applications were dismissed.

Further orders by consent addressed the payment of the Independent Children's Lawyer's costs, with the Father to pay the balance of his share and the Mother to pay her share by a specified date. The appointment of the Independent Children's Lawyer was to be discharged following a post-settlement conference.