Scanlon and Chandler

This matter concerned the parenting arrangements for two children, X and Y, with the court being Judge Young. The dispute involved the mother and father seeking to establish orders regarding the children's living arrangements, parental responsibility, and communication.

The court was required to determine the extent of equal shared parental responsibility, the specific areas requiring consultation between the parents, and the daily care arrangements for the children. Further issues included the precise schedule for the children spending time with each parent during school terms and holidays, arrangements for special days, and protocols for communication, changeovers, interstate and international travel, and the exchange of medical and educational information. The court also needed to address obligations concerning counselling, dispute resolution, and the consequences of contravening the orders.

Judge Young ordered that the mother and father have equal shared parental responsibility for the children, with specific provisions for consultation on major decisions concerning their education, religious and cultural upbringing, health, and significant changes to living arrangements. The court stipulated that the children would live with the mother, while the father would be responsible for their daily care when they were with him. Detailed schedules were established for the children's time with the father, encompassing school terms, school holidays, and specific public holidays, with varying notice requirements for the father depending on the period. The orders also included provisions for changeovers, special days of significance, communication between parents and children, and the exchange of essential information regarding the children's well-being and education. The court further mandated that both parents attend post-separation counselling and parenting courses, and established a clear dispute resolution process involving family dispute resolution practitioners before any court applications for variation.