Long and Long

This matter concerned orders made by Judge Neville regarding parental responsibility, living arrangements, and time spent with the children X and Y. The dispute involved the parents' arrangements for the children's care and contact following their separation.

The court was required to determine the specific terms of parental responsibility, including whether one parent should have sole responsibility for a period, and the nature and extent of the other parent's access to information about the children. Further issues included the children's primary residence, the schedule for the children spending time with each parent, arrangements for changeovers, and provisions for special events and travel. The court also addressed communication protocols between the parents and mechanisms for dispute resolution.

The court ordered that for a period of eighteen months, the Mother would have sole parental responsibility for the children, with the Father authorised to access educational and medical information. During this period, the Mother was required to consult with the Father on significant decisions regarding the children's education and health and to keep him informed. Following this period, the parents were to have equal shared parental responsibility. The children were to live with the Mother, and detailed provisions were made for the Father's time with the children, including specific schedules that evolved over time, arrangements for school holidays, and provisions for special days such as birthdays and Father's Day. The court also made orders regarding communication between the parents and children during periods of travel, and stipulated that both parents were to refrain from making derogatory remarks about each other or their families in the presence of the children. Both parents were also required to enrol in a parenting after separation course. The court discharged an earlier order placing the children on the Airport Watch List and refused an application for costs by the Independent Children's Lawyer.