Heaton and Heaton (No.2)

This matter concerned parenting orders made by Judge Jones in the Federal Circuit Court of Australia. The dispute involved the parents' arrangements for their four children, W, X, Y, and Z.

The court was required to determine the terms of final parenting orders, including the allocation of parental responsibility, the children's living arrangements, and the time the children would spend with each parent. Additionally, the court needed to address various injunctions and obligations concerning the parents' conduct towards each other and the children, as well as the children's ongoing therapeutic and educational needs.

Judge Jones ordered the discharge of all previous parenting orders. The parents were granted equal shared parental responsibility for the children, with the children to live with the Mother. Specific, detailed arrangements were set out for the children's time with the Father during school terms and holidays, including provisions for changeovers at a contact centre or a fast-food outlet. The orders also included injunctions restraining both parents from physically chastising the children, speaking negatively about the other parent, exposing the children to family violence, recording the children except for mementos, and questioning the children about parenting arrangements. Further orders mandated ongoing psychological and therapeutic interventions for the parents and children, including cognitive reassessment and counselling for autism, with specific directions for the Independent Children's Lawyer to facilitate these processes and provide relevant documentation to professionals. The Father was granted specific rights to obtain information from the children's schools and medical practitioners, and both parents were directed to support the children's extracurricular activities. The Independent Children's Lawyer was to be discharged after fulfilling specified duties.