Hutchins and Blaney

The case of *Hutchins and Blaney* concerned parenting orders made by Justice Fowler. The dispute involved the mother and father of a child, T, born in February 2007, regarding the allocation of parental responsibility and the arrangements for the child's time with each parent. The court was required to determine the extent of sole and equal shared parental responsibility for various aspects of the child's life, including education and health, and to establish specific time arrangements between the parents.

The legal issues before the court included how parental responsibility for the child's education and health should be allocated, the nature of shared parental responsibility for other matters, and the detailed schedule for the child's time with each parent. The court also had to consider provisions for dispute resolution, including mediation, and the circumstances under which the mother would have sole decision-making power. Furthermore, the court addressed the father's compliance with drug testing requirements and the supervision of the parenting orders.

Justice Fowler's reasoning led to orders that granted the mother sole parental responsibility for the child's education and health, subject to specific notification and consultation obligations with the father. For all other matters, the parents were to have equal shared parental responsibility. The court outlined a comprehensive schedule for the child's time with the father, which varied across school terms, holidays, and specific dates, with provisions for the child's birthday and other significant occasions. The orders also mandated monthly supervised urine drug testing for the father for a period of six months, with the mother responsible for the costs. Compliance with the parenting orders was to be supervised by a Family Consultant for twelve months. The court also discharged any prior inconsistent orders.