Hendley and Hendley

The case of *Hendley and Hendley* concerned parenting orders for a child born in April 1995. The dispute involved the arrangements for the child's time with each parent, following the discharge of previous parenting orders.

The court was required to determine the specific arrangements for the child's living situation, time spent with each parent, and communication between the parents. This included establishing a framework for supervised contact, transitioning to unsupervised contact, and addressing specific occasions such as birthdays and Christmas. The court also needed to consider the role of the paternal grandmother in supervising contact and the notification obligations between the parents regarding the child's welfare and their contact details.

Guest J ordered the discharge of all previous parenting orders and established equal shared parental responsibility. The child was to live with the wife, while the husband was granted specific, phased-in time with the child, commencing with supervised contact through a child contact service. This supervised time was to gradually transition to supervision by the paternal grandmother, with specific provisions for changeovers at the service's premises. The orders also detailed communication arrangements, including telephone contact, and stipulated that the paternal grandmother would need to file a signed undertaking with the Family Court, acknowledging her supervisory role and responsibilities. The court also made orders regarding the notification of school reports, serious illness or accidents, and changes in residential addresses and contact numbers. The appointment of an Independent Children's Lawyer was discharged, and all extant applications were dismissed.