VANIN & VANIN

In this matter before Watts J, the parties, the father and the mother, were engaged in proceedings concerning their three children. The dispute involved competing proposals for the children's living arrangements, with the father seeking a week-about arrangement and the mother proposing significant and substantial time with the children. Additionally, the proceedings addressed issues of spousal maintenance and child support.

The court was required to determine the interim parenting arrangements for the children, specifically considering the allegations of violence raised during the hearing and the paramount consideration of the children's best interests. The court also had to assess the financial circumstances of the parties to make interim orders for spousal maintenance and child support, including whether a departure from the standard child support assessment was warranted.

Watts J reasoned that the mother's proposal for the children's living arrangements was in their best interests, taking into account the allegations of violence and the need for stability. The court ordered shared parental responsibility for long-term decisions and that the children live with the mother, with specific time arrangements for the father. Regarding financial matters, the court found that the husband controlled significant assets, his income was not fully assessable at the interim stage, and the wife's expenditure exceeded her income. Consequently, the court made interim orders for spousal maintenance, including weekly payments and the payment of various household expenses, and an interim child support departure order.