Shaker and Beliz

In the matter of Shaker and Beliz, Berman J of the Federal Circuit Court of Australia made orders concerning the living arrangements and time spent with a child, B, born in 2006. The dispute centred on the practical arrangements for the child's care and the communication and information sharing between the parents.

The court was required to determine the specific orders regarding the child's residence, the father's time with the child, and the procedures for handovers. Further issues included the nature and frequency of communication between the child and the father, the provision of information concerning the child's schooling and health, and the participation of both parents and the child in psychological support and a parenting course.

Berman J ordered that the child live with the mother and spend time with the father on specified weekends, with handovers to occur at a designated location. The orders also stipulated regular telephone contact between the child and the father, and detailed requirements for the mother to provide the father with copies of school reports and information regarding the child's health, including specialist appointments and medical emergencies. The court further ordered that the child participate in psychological support at the parties' joint expense and that both parents complete a parenting course, with the father's completion being a condition for the continued operation of the orders. The psychologist was to be provided with a specific report.