Muir and Colley

In the matter of *Muir and Colley*, heard by Judge Coker, the dispute concerned parenting orders for two children, X and Y. The orders addressed issues of parental responsibility, living arrangements, and the father's time with the children.

The court was required to determine the terms of parenting orders, including the allocation of parental responsibility for long-term decisions, the children's primary residence, the nature and frequency of the father's time with the children, communication protocols between the parents, and provisions for future reviews of the orders.

The court ordered that the mother have sole parental responsibility for long-term decisions regarding the children's care, welfare, and development, subject to communication and notification to the father prior to final decisions on matters such as education, religious and cultural upbringing, health, and name. The children were ordered to live with the mother. The father was granted supervised time with the children, to occur no more frequently than fortnightly, with arrangements to be made through Relationships Australia or a similar centre. The father was to bear the costs of supervised contact. Specific communication protocols were established, including email for information exchange limited to specific matters and a standing arrangement for telephone contact. Both parents were ordered to refrain from making derogatory remarks about each other or their families in the presence of the children and to prevent others from doing so. The orders also stipulated that neither parent was to discuss the proceedings or court orders with the children. Provisions were made for a review of the father's time with the children after the younger child's 12th birthday, requiring consultation with a Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner.