KEADLE & MILDREN

In the matter of *Keadle & Mildren*, heard by Judge McGuire, the dispute concerned parenting arrangements for a four-year-old child, X. The proceedings sought to establish a schedule for the child to spend time with the father, Mr Keadle, while the mother, Ms Mildren, was the primary caregiver.

The court was required to determine the extent and nature of the time X would spend with the father, and whether to discharge existing parenting orders in favour of new arrangements. This involved considering the child's best interests in establishing a graduated time-sharing arrangement with the father.

Judge McGuire reasoned that discharging all extant parenting orders and establishing equal shared parental responsibility was appropriate. The court ordered that X live with the mother, but detailed a specific schedule for X to spend time and communicate with the father. This schedule included alternating weekends, extended blocks of time during school holidays, and specific arrangements for Christmas holidays, with provisions for changeovers at designated contact centres for an initial period. The court also stipulated that X's regular weekend time with the father would be suspended during school holidays and allowed for other agreed variations.