Weston and Weston

This matter concerned the Weston parents and their child, R. The dispute involved the living arrangements and parental responsibilities for R. The decision was made by Moore J in the Family Court of Australia.

The court was required to determine the primary residence of the child, the allocation of parental responsibility, and the specific arrangements for the father's time with the child, including during school holidays and special occasions. Additionally, the court needed to address communication protocols between the parents and the child, and establish certain restrictions on the parents' conduct and interactions with the child.

Moore J ordered that the child, R, live with the mother and that the mother have sole parental responsibility. The court then detailed a comprehensive schedule for the father's time with R, encompassing alternate weekends, half of school holidays, Father's Day, birthdays, and weekly telephone contact. Specific provisions were made for handover arrangements and communication during holidays. The court also imposed several restraints, including preventing the father from requesting massages or sharing a bed with the child, and restraining the mother from disclosing certain information to the child. Both parents were ordered to attend a parenting program and were prohibited from consuming alcohol to excess or using prohibited substances when R was in their care. They were also ordered not to denigrate each other in R's presence and to keep each other informed of their contact details. Finally, the court ordered that neither parent use physical discipline on the child and that they facilitate R's attendance at the Family Court Registry to discuss the orders with the Independent Children's Lawyer and Family Report writer. The appointment of the Independent Children's Lawyer was discharged.