Olsen and Drewery

This matter concerned parenting orders made by Murphy J in the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia. The dispute involved the parents of a child, B, born in 2008, regarding arrangements for parental responsibility and the child's time with each parent. The mother resided in Country C, while the father resided in Australia, creating geographical challenges for co-parenting.

The court was required to determine the extent of parental responsibility to be shared by the parents, particularly concerning "major long-term issues" as defined by the *Family Law Act 1975* (Cth). Additionally, the court had to assess the practicability of orders for equal time or substantial and significant time, given the international residence of the parents, and establish specific arrangements for the child's time with each parent, including communication and travel. The court also considered the provision of information about the child's health and education between the parents.

Murphy J ordered that the parents share equal parental responsibility for major long-term issues and that each parent would have parental responsibility for issues not classified as major long-term issues while the child was in their care. Crucially, the court declared that due to the mother's residence in Country C and the father's residence in Australia, neither equal time nor substantial and significant time orders were reasonably practicable. Consequently, the child was ordered to live with the father in Australia, with specific provisions for the child to spend time with the mother in either Country C or Australia during school holidays, and detailed arrangements for communication between the child and each parent. The court also made orders for the sharing of information regarding the child's health, education, and welfare, and for both parents to be able to attend the child's extra-curricular activities. All outstanding parenting applications were dismissed.