Whiteside and Whiteside

In the matter of *Whiteside and Whiteside*, heard by Judge Neville, the dispute concerned parenting arrangements for four children: W (born 2006), X (born 2006), Y (born 2011), and Z (born 2013). The orders indicate a significant disagreement between the parents regarding the children's living arrangements and time spent with each parent.

The court was required to determine the most appropriate parenting orders for the children, considering their best interests. This involved deciding on the nature of parental responsibility, where each child would live, and the extent of contact the father would have with the children, particularly given the geographical separation between the parents. The court also needed to address the need for professional assessment of the family's circumstances.

Judge Neville made orders for equal shared parental responsibility for all children. The younger children, Y and Z, were ordered to live with the mother in Queensland, with the father having supervised or agreed-upon time when he was in Queensland. The older children, W and X, were to live with the mother until the end of the NSW first term school holidays, after which they were to reside with their father and resume schooling in a different location, maintaining regular communication with their mother. Crucially, the court ordered the parties and children to attend a family consultant for a Family Report addressing issues under section 60CC of the *Family Law Act 1975*, and listed the matter for an expedited hearing.