Spriggs and Killen

This matter concerned an application by the Father for orders regarding supervised time with the child, B, born in 2012. The dispute arose between the Father and the Mother concerning the arrangements for the child's contact with the Father. The decision was made by Tree J.

The court was required to determine the appropriate arrangements for supervised contact between the Father and the child, including the frequency, duration, and location of such contact. Additionally, the court needed to address the costs associated with the supervised contact and the responsibilities of each parent in facilitating this contact. The court also considered orders regarding the conduct of the parents in the presence of the child and the liberty to relist the Father's application.

Tree J ordered the discharge of previous orders made on 29 October 2014. The court then established a phased approach for supervised time between the Father and the child at the C Town Children’s Contact Centre, commencing with shorter, more frequent visits and progressing to longer, less frequent visits. Specific provisions were made for Father's Day, the Father's Birthday, and the Child's Birthday, allowing for additional supervised time if accommodated by the contact centre. The Father was ordered to pay the costs of the contact centre, and both parents were directed to make arrangements for intake promptly. Furthermore, the court prohibited either parent from denigrating the other in the child's presence and mandated the Mother to encourage the child's attendance at contact. The Father was granted liberty to relist his application filed on 16 May 2017.