Rennie and Arnott

This matter concerned parenting orders for a child born in 2011, with the parties being the mother and the father. The court was required to determine the living arrangements for the child, the apportionment of parental responsibility, and the time the child would spend with each parent.

The central legal issues before the court were how to best promote the child's welfare and best interests in light of the parents' circumstances. This involved determining where the child would live, how significant decisions regarding the child's education and medical care would be made, and establishing a detailed schedule for the child's time with each parent, including provisions for communication and travel. The court also considered the need for ongoing communication and information sharing between the parents regarding the child's well-being and progress.

The court discharged previous parenting orders and made new orders that the child live with the mother in Queensland. Parental responsibility was divided, with the mother having sole responsibility for the child's education and non-emergency medical care in Queensland, and the father having sole responsibility for non-emergency medical care in Victoria. Both parents shared equal responsibility for other matters. A comprehensive schedule was set out for the child's time with the father, including school holidays and communication, with specific provisions for travel arrangements and costs. The court also made orders restraining the parties from denigrating each other in the child's presence and requiring them to attend post-separation parenting programs and, in the case of the mother, counselling. The court noted that contravention of these orders could lead to specified consequences.