Sablons and Dormoy

In the matter of *Sablons and Dormoy*, Brown J of the Family Court of Australia considered parenting orders concerning a child, R, born in January 1997. The dispute involved the father and mother regarding the child's living arrangements, parental responsibility, and time spent with each parent.

The court was required to determine the primary caregiver for the child, the allocation of parental responsibility, and the nature and conditions of the child's time with the mother. Further issues included the mother's enrolment and attendance at a children's contact centre, the impact of the mother's failure to attend contact, and the conditions under which contact would occur, including the child's agreement to spend time with the mother and the mother's abstinence from alcohol and illicit substances. The court also considered the discharge of previous orders and the role of the independent children's lawyer.

Brown J discharged all previous parenting orders and injunctions relating to the child. The court ordered that the child live with the father and that the father and mother share equal parental responsibility, with the exception that the father would have sole responsibility for the child's health and education. The mother was granted supervised contact with the child at a designated contact centre, subject to her enrolling and attending an intake interview. Failure to comply with these conditions or the child's refusal to spend time with the mother would result in the suspension or discharge of contact. The mother was also ordered to communicate with the child by telephone on specific evenings and was restrained from consuming alcohol or illicit substances during any contact or communication. The court also noted that counsel for the mother was unable to obtain current instructions.