Hodges and Gatley

This matter concerned orders made by Judge Myers regarding the living arrangements and parental responsibility for a child, X. The dispute between the parties, Hodges and Gatley, centred on the practical arrangements for the child's care, including where the child would live, the allocation of parental responsibility, and the specific times the child would spend with each parent.

The court was required to determine the primary residence of the child, the extent of shared parental responsibility, and to establish a detailed schedule for the child's time with each parent. This included defining arrangements for school terms, school holidays, long weekends, birthdays, and significant public holidays like Christmas. The court also needed to address communication protocols between the parents, their involvement in the child's education and extracurricular activities, and medical information sharing.

In its reasoning, the court applied principles of the *Family Law Act 1975* (Cth), particularly section 65DAC, which guides decisions regarding the child's best interests. The orders reflect a determination that the child would live with the father and that both parents would share equal responsibility for the child's welfare and development. The court meticulously outlined specific time arrangements, including alternating weekends, mid-week contact, and holiday schedules, to ensure the child had substantial and consistent time with both parents. Further orders addressed communication, information sharing, and parental conduct, including prohibitions against denigrating the other parent or discussing proceedings with the child.

The court ordered that the child, X, live with the father, with both parties having equal shared parental responsibility. Each parent was granted responsibility for day-to-day decisions concerning the child while in their care. A comprehensive schedule detailing the child's time with the mother and father was established, along with provisions for communication, medical information, and parental conduct. The parties were also directed to attend family dispute resolution if difficulties arose in facilitating these orders.