Petrov and Rudetsky

In the matter of *Petrov and Rudetsky*, heard before Macmillan J, the dispute concerned parenting orders for a child born in 2010. The proceedings involved applications by both the mother and the father regarding the child's future living arrangements, time spent with each parent, and the mother's proposed relocation with the child to Country W.

The court was required to determine the primary issue of where the child should live, considering the mother's application for sole parental responsibility and permission to relocate internationally. This involved assessing the best interests of the child in light of the proposed changes to the existing parenting arrangements, including the significant geographical distance that would arise from the relocation. The court also had to consider the nature and extent of the time the child would spend with the father, both before and after the relocation, and any necessary restrictions or conditions to ensure the child's welfare and the father's continued involvement in the child's life.

Macmillan 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. Crucially, the mother was permitted to relocate to Country W with the child. The orders then detailed specific arrangements for the child's time and communication with the father, both pending relocation and thereafter. These included structured time with the father in Australia and Country W, with specific conditions regarding travel, supervision, and communication methods. The court also imposed restraints on the father, prohibiting him from bringing the child into contact with the paternal grandmother and from driving a motor vehicle when the child is in his care. Further orders addressed the recording of the father's name on school records, notification of medical emergencies, and prohibitions against removing the child from Australia pending relocation, with requests made to the Australian Federal Police regarding an Airport Watch List. The Independent Children's Lawyer was to be discharged upon the child's departure.