TANBERG & REMMY

In the Federal Circuit Court of Australia, Judge WJ Neville presided over a dispute between the Mother and Father concerning parenting arrangements for their young child. The matter came before the court on an interim basis, with a focus on limited issues arising from a previous agreement for a shared care arrangement. The Mother sought to alter this existing shared care arrangement.

The central legal issues before the court were whether the existing shared care arrangement should continue, and the weight to be given to an expert report that did not address relevant risks to the child or recommend cessation of the current arrangement. The court also considered other stressors, including the Father's new partner and the strained relationship between her and the Mother, which had not been thoroughly examined.

Judge Neville declined to accept the Mother's application to change the shared care arrangement due to inconclusive evidence. The court noted the limited utility of the expert report, as it failed to comment on any risks associated with the continuation of the shared care arrangement or recommend its termination. The court indicated its willingness to make an order for a full Family Report under s62G of the *Family Law Act 1975* (Cth), viewing this as a potentially cost-saving measure and beneficial given the likely delay until a final hearing.

The court ordered that by 12:00 pm on 16 October 2020, the parties were to jointly notify the Court via email regarding whether a final hearing could be contained to one day and whether they intended to obtain a further private expert report or a s62G report. The matter was listed for a final hearing on a date to be advised.