Hawtin and Hawtin

In the matter of *Hawtin and Hawtin*, heard before Gill J of the Family Court of Australia, the dispute concerned parenting orders relating to three children. The father sought various orders, including concerning the children's passports and National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) applications. The mother also sought alternate orders in response.

The court was required to determine whether to grant one parent the authority to apply for passports for the children without the consent of the other parent, and to make orders regarding the co-signing of future NDIS applications and correspondence for one of the children. The court also had to consider the father's further amended application and the mother's response seeking alternate orders.

Gill J ordered that either parent could apply for passports for the three children without the other parent's consent, with the passports to be lodged with the Court pending further order. The court further ordered that all future NDIS applications and correspondence concerning one child, authored by the mother, must be co-signed by the father prior to lodgement. The father's further amended application and the mother's response seeking alternate orders were dismissed. The matter was returned to the Registrar's list for further interim application or in readiness for trial.