WILSON & JEANS

In *Wilson & Jeans*, heard by Cronin J, the dispute concerned parenting orders for a two-year-old child with health problems, where the parents had a poor relationship. The mother sought to relocate with the child from Victoria to New South Wales, and the father opposed this.

The court was required to determine whether to permit the mother to relocate the child to New South Wales, and in light of the parents' inability to make joint decisions, whether to make orders for sole parental responsibility for the mother, and what specific time arrangements and other orders would be in the child's best interests.

Cronin J found the father's truthfulness to be a significant problem, noting several instances of what the court considered to be malicious and unsubstantiated allegations made by the father against the mother and her family. These included claims about the mother's professional conduct and an incident involving the child and alcohol, which the court rejected on the balance of probabilities. The court also highlighted the father's dismissive and uncooperative behaviour regarding the return of the mother's car as indicative of the poor communication between the parties. Applying the principles of family law, particularly the best interests of the child and the relevance of section 65DAC of the *Family Law Act 1975* (Cth) concerning parental responsibility, the court concluded that sole parental responsibility for the mother was appropriate.

The court ordered that the mother have sole parental responsibility for the child and that the child live with her. The mother was permitted to relocate the child to New South Wales. Specific time arrangements for the father were detailed, with provisions for the child to spend time with the father both in Victoria and New South Wales, with gradual increases in overnight stays and holiday time as the child grew. The orders also included provisions for major long-term decisions, passport applications, and international travel. The Independent Children's Lawyer was discharged from the proceedings, and save for costs applications, the parties' applications were dismissed.