ORFORD & ORFORD

In the matter of *Orford & Orford*, Judge Burchardt of the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia made orders concerning parenting arrangements and property division. The parenting dispute was resolved by consent based on oral submissions, with all parties agreeing that the children should live with the father. The proposed time regimes for the mother varied depending on her residence in New South Wales or Victoria, and the court also considered the mother's mental health difficulties. The property dispute involved a limited pool of assets, primarily the matrimonial home and superannuation.

The court was required to determine appropriate parenting orders that would best serve the interests of the four children, taking into account the mother's mental health challenges and the proposed living arrangements. In relation to property, the court needed to decide on a just and equitable division of the matrimonial home and the husband's superannuation, considering the wife's initial contributions to the home and the husband's proposal for the superannuation split.

On parenting, the court made orders for equal shared parental responsibility, with the children to live with the father. Specific time and communication arrangements were detailed for the mother, contingent on her location, with provisions for video calls and face-to-face time, often requiring the substantial attendance of an adult. The orders also mandated paediatric assessments for two of the children and drug and alcohol counselling for both parents. The mother was granted liberty to apply for further parenting orders after 12 months, subject to engaging in psychological and psychiatric treatment and providing reports. For property, the court ordered the husband to pay the wife $57,786 within 90 days. If this payment was not made, the matrimonial home was to be sold, with the net proceeds divided 75% to the husband and 25% to the wife. The husband's superannuation was to be split, with the wife receiving $11,113.