Hills and Lomond

In the matter of *Hills and Lomond*, the Family Court of Australia considered an application concerning the parenting arrangements for a child born in September 2000. The dispute centred on where the child should live and who should hold parental responsibility, as well as the extent of contact the mother should have with the child.

The court was required to determine the primary issue of the child's residence and the allocation of sole parental responsibility. Furthermore, the court had to decide on the nature and extent of any future contact between the mother and the child, and whether an Independent Children's Lawyer was still necessary.

The court ordered that the child would live with the father and that the father would have sole parental responsibility. Crucially, the mother was prohibited from spending any time with the child until further order. Liberty was granted to the mother to send Christmas and birthday presents to the father's address for the child. The appointment of the Independent Children's Lawyer was discharged, and all related matters were removed from the pending list.