Parkin and Sykes

This matter concerned parenting orders for a child born in February 2001, with the proceedings brought before Johnston J. The dispute centred on the arrangements for the child's residence, time spent with each parent, and parental responsibility.

The court was required to determine the appropriate parenting orders, including whether to discharge previous orders, who should have parental responsibility, where the child should live, and the nature and extent of the child's time with the father. The court also had to consider the specific issues of contact, information sharing, and the involvement of external services to facilitate contact.

Johnston J ordered that all previous parenting orders be discharged. The mother was granted sole parental responsibility, and the child was ordered to live with her. The child was to spend time with the father on four occasions each year, specifically the third weekend of February, May, August, and November. This time was to be supervised by staff at CW Contact Service for a minimum of two hours on each occasion, at times agreed upon by the service and the parents. Both parents were directed to engage with CW Contact Service for an intake assessment and to comply with any scheduled supervised time and associated fees. Provisions were made for an alternative contact service if CW Contact Service was unable or unwilling to provide supervision. The mother was also ordered to provide the father with written updates on the child's activities and wellbeing prior to each period of supervised contact, and to keep the father informed of the child's residential address, school, and medical practitioners. The father was granted liberty to obtain school progress details and to send the child cards, photos, letters, and gifts, with the mother to ensure their receipt. Leave was also granted for the Independent Child Lawyer to release single expert reports to the child's counsellor.