VAUGHAN & VAUGHAN

In *Vaughan & Vaughan*, the parties, the Mother and the Father, presented competing applications for the primary care of their three children. The Father alleged that the Mother, who had a history of severe mental illness, remained psychologically unstable and posed a risk to the children. Conversely, the Mother contended that the children were at risk of emotional harm due to the disturbance of their primary attachment to her, arising from not living in her care since the separation. The matter was heard by Judge Bender.

The court was required to determine the most appropriate parenting arrangements for the children, specifically who should have primary care and the extent of the other parent's time with the children. This involved assessing the risks and benefits associated with each parent having primary care, particularly in light of the Mother's mental health history and the Father's concerns about the children's emotional well-being.

Judge Bender ordered that the Mother have primary care of the parties' three children, with the Father to spend alternate weekends with them. This arrangement was to increase as the youngest child turned five years of age. The court also made detailed orders regarding the Father's time, including specific provisions for school holidays and birthdays, and established mechanisms for communication and information sharing between the parents. Further orders addressed the children's counselling and educational assessments, as well as injunctions against denigration and the discussion of proceedings in front of the children. The court also discharged previous parenting orders and travel restrictions, while imposing new requirements for overseas travel notification and passport custody. The Mother was ordered to continue psychiatric treatment and enrol in the Child First Program, and both parties were ordered to complete a Parenting Orders Program.