VEITCH & LESLIE

In the matter of VEITCH & LESLIE, Judge Brown of the Federal Circuit Court of Australia determined parenting orders concerning two children, X and Y. The dispute involved the living arrangements and time spent with each parent, as well as the allocation of parental responsibility for long-term decisions and specific welfare and educational needs.

The court was required to determine where the children would live, the specific terms of their time with each parent, and how parental responsibility would be shared. Key issues included the father's responsibility for the children's educational and counselling needs, and the father's obligation to seek professional assessment and support for child X's behavioural issues and school refusal. The court also addressed communication protocols between the parents regarding the children and imposed specific prohibitions on certain behaviours.

Judge Brown ordered that all previous parenting orders be discharged. The children were to live with the father from the commencement of the 2017 academic school year. The court then detailed extensive provisions for the children's time with the mother, contingent on her residential location, including alternate weekends, school holidays, and specific public holidays. Parental responsibility was to be shared, with the father having sole responsibility for educational and counselling decisions. The father was also directed to arrange specific assessments and interventions for child X. The orders included provisions for communication between parents and children, information sharing with schools and health professionals, and prohibitions against abuse, physical discipline, and exposure to illegal substance use.