PADDON & JORDAN

This matter concerned orders made by Judge Brown regarding the parental responsibility and time arrangements for a child, X. The dispute centred on how the parents, the mother and the father, would share responsibility for X and the specific arrangements for X to spend time with each parent, including interstate travel and communication protocols.

The court was required to determine the terms of orders concerning equal shared parental responsibility for X, the primary residence of X with the mother in the Northern Territory, and the detailed schedule for X to spend time with the father. Further issues included provisions for communication between the parents and with X, arrangements for interstate and overseas travel, the exchange of travel documents, and the sharing of information regarding X's schooling and medical care. The court also had to address mechanisms for dispute resolution and the potential for child-inclusive mediation upon X reaching a certain age.

The court made orders establishing equal shared parental responsibility for X, with X to live with the mother. A comprehensive schedule was set out for X to spend time with the father, encompassing mid-year and end-of-term school holidays, with specific provisions for travel arrangements, including the father's responsibility for purchasing plane tickets and the mother's reimbursement. The orders also stipulated liberal communication between parents and X, with specific guidelines for communication times and methods. Provisions were included for interstate and overseas travel, requiring advance notice and itinerary sharing, and ensuring regular communication with the non-travelling parent. The court also ordered that both parents be kept informed of X's significant medical, counselling, and educational matters, and that each parent have access to X's school and health records. Mechanisms for dispute resolution, including family dispute resolution and child-inclusive mediation, were also established.