RANIERI & SULLIVAN

This matter concerned parenting orders made by Tree J in the Federal Circuit Court of Australia. The parties involved were Ms Sullivan, the mother, and Mr Ranieri, the father, in relation to their child, B, born in 2011. The dispute centred on the arrangements for the child's residence and time spent with each parent.

The court was required to determine the appropriate parenting orders, including who should have parental responsibility, where the child should live, and the nature and extent of the time the father would spend with the child. Additionally, the court considered the need for counselling for both parents and the conditions under which unsupervised time between the father and child could commence and progress. The court also had to address the role of a section 65L consultant and the discharge of the Independent Children's Lawyer.

Tree J ordered that all previous parenting orders be discharged. The mother was granted sole parental responsibility and the child was to live with her. The father was to spend time with the child at a contact centre, initially fortnightly for at least two hours, with the father bearing the costs. Crucially, both parents were ordered to undertake counselling as recommended in a Family Report, with specific requirements for engagement and the provision of written advice from their respective counsellors. The father's unsupervised time with the child was to commence only after he provided the required written advice, with a phased increase in the duration of these visits over several months. The court also stipulated the involvement of a section 65L consultant to monitor compliance and facilitate a Child Dispute Conference to explore overnight visits, with liberty for the father to seek further orders if mediation was unsuccessful. The Independent Children's Lawyer was to be discharged upon the engagement of the section 65L consultant or after a specified period.