Murray and Kings

This matter concerned orders made by Faulks DCJ regarding the living arrangements and parental responsibility for a child. The dispute involved the child's parents and their respective roles in the child's upbringing, particularly concerning her residence, medical care, education, and time spent with each parent.

The court was required to determine the primary residence of the child, the extent of parental responsibility to be shared between the parents, and the specific arrangements for the child's time with each parent. Key issues included the allocation of sole or equal shared parental responsibility, the provision of information regarding the child's medical treatment and diagnosis, consultation on educational choices, and the schedule for the child's time with her father, including handover arrangements and communication methods. The court also considered the need for parental engagement in a recommended attachment program and the conditions under which further applications to vary the orders could be made.

Faulks DCJ ordered that the child live primarily with her mother and that the mother have sole parental responsibility, subject to specific provisions ensuring the father's access to information about the child's medical treatment and diagnosis, and requiring consultation on educational matters. The court outlined detailed arrangements for the child's time with her father, which were to be facilitated through a children's contact service. Provisions were also made for the father to provide a mobile phone for communication and for consultation on any continuing activities the child might engage in. The parents were ordered to attend an attachment program, and further applications to vary the orders were restricted unless a significant event occurred or until the child commenced school or turned five.