Petts and Petts

In the matter of *Petts and Petts*, heard before Judge Mead, the dispute concerned parenting orders for two children, X and Y, born in 2004. The father sought to vary existing arrangements, but the court ultimately made orders concerning the children's residence, parental responsibility, and the father's contact with them.

The central legal issues before the court were the determination of where the children should live, who should hold parental responsibility for them, and whether any restrictions should be placed on the father's contact with the children, particularly in light of pending criminal proceedings against him. The court was required to consider the best interests of the children in making these determinations.

Judge Mead ordered that the children X and Y live with the mother and that the mother have sole parental responsibility for them. Furthermore, the court granted an injunction restraining the father from communicating with or approaching the children, and from coming within 200 metres of any place where the children might reside or attend school. All other applications were dismissed, with the father granted liberty to apply to reinstate the proceedings once the pending criminal proceedings against him were finalised.