Keach and Keach

In *Keach and Keach*, heard by Watts J, the dispute concerned parenting arrangements for two children, T and R. The orders made by the court addressed issues of parental responsibility, the children's living arrangements, and specific time allocations for each parent, including during school holidays and on significant family days.

The court was required to determine the nature of parental responsibility, specifically whether it should be equal shared parental responsibility, and to establish a schedule for the children's living arrangements with each parent. This included defining the day-to-day care arrangements and allocating time during school terms, school holidays, and on specific occasions such as birthdays and Father's Day and Mother's Day. The court also considered provisions for when one parent might be absent from the Sydney metropolitan area.

Watts J ordered that the mother and father have equal shared parental responsibility for the children. However, each parent was granted sole responsibility for day-to-day decisions concerning the children's welfare and development during their respective periods of care. The court then detailed a complex schedule for the children's living arrangements, primarily with the father, but with specific provisions for the mother's care during school terms and holidays, including a fortnightly cycle for school term arrangements from Term 3, 2008. Special provisions were made for Christmas holidays, other school holidays, and for each parent's birthday and Father's Day and Mother's Day. The orders also stipulated the handover arrangements between parents and included a statement regarding the consequences of contravention pursuant to sections 65DA(2) and 62B of the relevant legislation.