JORDAN & JORDAN (INTERIM ORDERS)

In the matter of *Jordan & Jordan*, Justice Austin of the Family Court of Australia was required to determine interim parenting orders for two children, K and R, pending the final conclusion of part-heard proceedings. The proceedings involved a dispute between the parents regarding the children's living arrangements and time spent with each parent.

The court was tasked with establishing what interim parenting orders would be in the best interests of the children until the final hearing. This involved considering the children's welfare and making directions for the continuation of the proceedings, including the preparation of a Family Report by a Family Consultant based on the existing evidence.

Justice Austin's reasoning led to the imposition of interim orders that suspended all previous parenting orders. The children were directed to live with the mother, with specific provisions for the father to spend time with them on alternate weekends and during half of the school holidays, with detailed arrangements for Christmas and birthdays. The court also made orders restraining the father from consuming alcohol above the legal limit or using illegal substances while the children were in his care, and from contacting the mother directly except for purposes related to the orders, unless she consented in writing. Further orders addressed the exchange of children, the provision of contact details, prohibitions against denigration, corporal punishment, and requirements for notification of medical emergencies. The court also noted that these orders would prevail over any perceived inconsistency with an existing Apprehended Domestic Violence Order.