Horrigan and Connor

In *Horrigan and Connor*, heard before Cronin J, the dispute concerned parenting orders. The mother had filed an application on 2 August 2016, which was subsequently dismissed for want of prosecution. The father sought leave to proceed in the mother's absence, and the court ultimately made significant orders regarding the children's upbringing and the mother's contact with them.

The central legal issues before the court were whether to grant the father leave to proceed in the mother's absence, the appropriate parenting orders to make given the circumstances, and the extent to which the mother should be restrained from communicating with the children and publishing information about them. The court was also required to consider the discharge of existing parenting orders and the appointment of an Independent Children's Lawyer, as well as the question of costs.

Cronin J reasoned that the mother's application had been dismissed for want of prosecution, justifying the father's request to proceed ex parte. The court then discharged all extant parenting orders and made new orders granting the father sole parental responsibility for the two children, X and Y, and ordering that they live with him. Furthermore, the mother was restrained by injunction from communicating with the children directly or indirectly, including through third parties or their friends, without prior arrangement with the father. She was also enjoined from publishing any information or photographs of the children on social media. The court also discharged the order appointing an Independent Children's Lawyer and ordered the mother to pay the father's costs fixed at $5000. The court also noted specific arrangements for the mother to have time with the children by agreement with the father, including provisions for children requesting to return to the father, and for the mother to send cards, letters, and gifts via the father, who would vet their appropriateness. The father also undertook to advise the mother of any significant medical issues affecting the children.