Stapleton & Hayes

In the Family Court of Australia, Justice Moore delivered a ruling in the matter of *Stapleton & Hayes*. The proceedings concerned parenting orders for two children and property settlement, with a history of court proceedings spanning several years. The applicant mother was represented by a solicitor, while the respondent father was self-represented. An independent children's lawyer had been appointed earlier in the proceedings.

The court was required to determine how to address a series of communications and filings that had occurred without proper adherence to court directions. Specifically, the court needed to manage a request from the independent children's lawyer to relist the matter for a short mention regarding issues with the appointment of a single expert, and a subsequent application filed by the mother's solicitor for security of costs, which appeared to contravene a previous order requiring leave to file further applications.

Justice Moore reasoned that the ongoing correspondence with court staff and the filing of applications without clear agreement or leave were unacceptable and disruptive. To address this, the court vacated the scheduled mention date and established a clear process for the independent children's lawyer to seek further directions regarding the expert's appointment, requiring notification to the parties and allowing for an application to be listed if agreement was not reached. Leave was also granted for the mother to file her application for security of costs, but its return date was vacated and relisted for a later hearing.