Knill and Beckett

This matter concerned an application by the Mother for orders regarding parental responsibility and the living arrangements for the child, B, born in 2015. The dispute arose in the context of the Mother seeking to relocate B to Tasmania.

The court was required to determine the issue of parental responsibility for B and to make orders regarding B's living arrangements, specifically addressing the practicalities of time spent with the Father both before and after the Mother's proposed move to Tasmania. The court also had to consider the allocation of travel costs associated with the handover arrangements.

Gill J ordered that the Mother have sole parental responsibility for B and that B live with the Mother, with liberty for the Mother to move B's place of residence to Tasmania. The court then set out detailed orders for the time B was to spend with the Father, distinguishing between periods before and after the move to Tasmania, and specifying handover arrangements at various airports and times. The court also allocated responsibility for travel costs, with the Mother being solely responsible for costs associated with handovers in Canberra and the Father solely responsible for costs associated with handovers in Hobart.