Hurley and Lomu

In *Hurley and Lomu*, heard before Foster J of the Family Court of Australia, the Applicant Mother sought urgent orders concerning her child, B. The dispute involved the recovery of the child and interim parenting arrangements.

The court was required to determine whether to grant the Applicant Mother leave to proceed ex-parte, dispense with certain rules to facilitate an immediate hearing, and issue a recovery order for the child. Additionally, the court needed to make interim orders regarding parental responsibility, the child's residence, and time spent with the Respondent Father, pending further orders and personal service of the initiating documents.

Foster J granted the Applicant Mother leave to proceed ex-parte and dispensed with rules to allow the matter to be heard. The court issued a recovery order pursuant to s 67Q of the *Family Law Act 1975*, directing law enforcement officers to locate and recover the child B and return her to the Applicant Mother, with powers to stop, search, and enter premises. Interim orders were made granting the Applicant Mother sole parental responsibility, stipulating that the child live with her at her maternal grandmother's address, and that the child spend no time with the Respondent Father unless agreed in writing. The court also ordered the Applicant Mother to serve the initiating documents and the court's orders on the Respondent Father as soon as practicable. Finally, the proceedings were transferred to the Federal Circuit Court in Canberra.