Robins and Ruddock

In the matter of *Robins and Ruddock*, Benjamin J considered parenting orders concerning two children, A and M. The dispute involved the allocation of parental responsibility and the time the children would spend with each parent.

The court was required to determine the extent of sole parental responsibility for major long-term decisions, the specific areas of shared parental responsibility, the living arrangements for the children, and the schedule for the children's time with the father, including provisions for school holidays and specific public holidays. The court also had to consider the role of an Independent Children's Lawyer and the communication of the orders to the children.

Benjamin J ordered that the mother have sole parental responsibility for major long-term decisions, with shared responsibility for school-related matters. The children were to live with the mother and spend time with the father on alternate weekends during school terms, half of all school holidays, and specific arrangements for Christmas and Father's Day. The court also imposed conditions on the father's overnight time, requiring another adult to be present and for the mother to be informed of their identity. Further orders included the discharge of previous parenting orders, the explanation of the current orders to the children by a Dr R, and a restraint on the parties informing the children of the proceedings' outcome until after this explanation. The court also incorporated a Fact Sheet detailing obligations and consequences of contravention, and discharged the Independent Children's Lawyer after 28 days.