Thompson and Platt

This matter concerned parenting orders made by Judge Coker in the Federal Circuit Court of Australia. The dispute involved the father and mother of a child, [X], born in 2011, regarding the arrangements for the child's care, welfare, and development. The court was required to determine the specific terms of these arrangements, including parental responsibility for long-term and day-to-day decisions, the child's living arrangements, and the time the child would spend with each parent.

The court's reasoning led to a detailed set of orders aimed at establishing a clear framework for the parents' responsibilities and the child's time with each parent. The father was granted sole parental responsibility for long-term decisions concerning the child's care, welfare, and development, with the caveat that he must consult the mother prior to making final decisions on matters such as education, religious and cultural upbringing, health, name changes, and significant changes to living arrangements. The mother was made responsible for the child's day-to-day care when the child was with her, and the father was similarly responsible when the child was with him.

The orders stipulated that the child would live with the father in a specified area. The specific time the child would spend with the mother was detailed, varying based on whether the mother resided in the same area as the father, and including provisions for school holidays, special days, and communication between parents and the child. Further orders addressed communication protocols between the parents, restrictions on alcohol and drug consumption in the child's presence, and a dispute resolution process involving a Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner. The court also made specific provisions for defining halves of school holiday periods.