SIKORA & SIKORA

Watts J of the Family Court of Australia made orders concerning the parenting of K Sikora and A Sikora. The dispute involved the mother and father of the children, who sought to establish new parenting arrangements.

The court was required to determine the terms of equal shared parental responsibility, the living arrangements for the children, and the specific time the children would spend with each parent. Further issues included provisions for communication, medical information, school-related matters, travel outside of Australia, and residential proximity of the parents. The court also addressed the need for a post-separation parenting program and the costs associated with the Independent Children's Lawyer.

The court discharged all prior parenting orders and established a regime of equal shared parental responsibility. The children were ordered to live with the mother, with specific, detailed arrangements for the children to spend time with the father during school terms, school holidays, and on public holidays. The orders also included provisions for communication between the children and the father, the exchange of medical and educational information, and the attendance of both parents at medical appointments and extracurricular activities. Significant provisions were made regarding international travel, requiring notice, itineraries, and financial security in certain circumstances. The court also imposed restrictions on the parents' residential addresses and prohibited them from discussing the proceedings or denigrating each other in the presence of the children. The court also directed the Director of Child Dispute Services to assist the parties with a post-separation parenting program.