Muggeridge and Moller

The parties in this matter were the mother and the father of a child, B. The dispute concerned parenting arrangements for B, with the court required to make orders regarding where the child would live and the time the child would spend with each parent. The decision was made by Berman J.

The primary legal issues before the court were to determine the living arrangements for the child and to establish a schedule for the child to spend time with the father. The court also had to consider the practicalities of handover arrangements and the need for communication between the parents, particularly in light of potential conflict.

Berman J ordered that the child live with the mother. The father was granted time with the child on Thursdays from 10 am to 4 pm, and from 9 am on Sundays until 5 pm on Mondays each week. To manage potential conflict, the court mandated that handovers occur inside the C Town Police Station, with the mother or her agent to ensure a swift handover and immediate departure. Furthermore, an injunction was granted restraining both parents from approaching each other except for the purposes of the agreed handover arrangements. In emergencies, communication was to be conducted via SMS text message. The proceedings were listed for a trial allocation.