WATTS & LORRECK (No.3)

In *Watts & Lorreck (No.3)*, Judge Neville of the Federal Circuit Court of Australia considered an application by the Mother to dismiss proceedings, and an application by the Father seeking orders for additional time with the children, X and Y, including approval for an overseas holiday. The dispute concerned the allocation of time with the children and the Father's proposed travel arrangements.

The court was required to determine whether the Mother's application to dismiss the proceedings should be granted, and if not, whether the Father should be granted approval to have the children for an additional 17 days in September 2015, and for a holiday of approximately three to four weeks in a specified country during September 2015. The court also needed to confirm existing orders where necessary.

Judge Neville dismissed the Mother's application. The court reasoned that the Father's applications for additional time and the overseas holiday were to be considered on their merits. The court's decision to grant the Father's requests was based on an assessment of the children's best interests, taking into account the existing parenting orders and the specific circumstances of the proposed holiday. The court confirmed previous orders made on 10th December 2012, which had not been disturbed on appeal.

The court ordered that the Mother's application be dismissed. It further ordered that the Father's requests be granted, approving his proposal to obtain 17 extra days with the children X and Y between 1st September 2015 and 17th September 2015, in addition to the allocated Spring Holiday. Approval was also granted for the Father to take the children X and Y for a holiday in the specified country in September 2015 for a period of approximately three to four weeks.