Harpie and Harpie

In *Harpie and Harpie*, O'Ryan J of the Family Court of Australia made orders concerning the time the children of the marriage would spend with the Mother. The dispute centred on the arrangements for the children's time with the Mother, given the need for supervision and restrictions on the Mother's consumption of alcohol or illegal substances.

The court was required to determine the specific terms of the children's time with the Mother, including the frequency, duration, and conditions of such time. This involved establishing a schedule for weekends, birthdays, and public holidays, as well as outlining the requirements for supervision and the consequences of the Mother's non-compliance with certain conditions. The court also had to consider the children's primary residence and provisions for communication between the children and the Mother when they were not together.

O'Ryan J discharged previous orders and established new arrangements for the children to spend time with the Mother. These orders stipulated specific periods for the children to be with the Mother, including alternate weekends and certain public holidays. Crucially, all time spent with the Mother was to be under the supervision of an agreed adult. The court imposed a strict prohibition on the Mother consuming alcohol or illegal drugs for at least 24 hours prior to and during any period the children were with her. The orders detailed the consequences of the Mother's consumption of alcohol or drugs, including the Father's right to withhold the children and the supervisor's obligation to contact the Father. The children were to otherwise live with the Father.

The new orders commenced on 16 August 2008. The court also made provisions for daily telephone communication initiated by the Mother, subject to the Father facilitating the call. Further orders addressed Father's Day and the liberty of the parties to provide the orders to relevant third parties. The court noted that the orders were made with the expectation that the Mother would have some weekday contact with the children after school. Finally, the court incorporated a Fact Sheet detailing the obligations, consequences of contravention, and assistance available for compliance, pursuant to sections 65DA(2) and 62B of the *Family Law Act 1975* (Cth).