Things To Consider When Applying for Parenting Orders
Parenting orders are orders made by the court regarding a child.
The matters which may be dealt with by parenting orders include:
- The person/s with whom a child is to live;
- the time a child is to spend with another person or other persons;
- the allocation of parental responsibility for a child;
- the form of consultation about decisions about a child;
- the communication a child is to have with another person or other persons;
- the allocation of parental responsibility for a child;
- the form of consultation about decisions about a child;
- the communication a child is to have with another person or other persons;
- maintenance of a child not covered by the Child Support (Assessment) Act 1989 (Cth);
- the steps to be taken prior to an application for variation of an order;
- the process for resolving disputes about the terms or operation of the order;
- any other aspect of the care, welfare or development of the child or parental responsibility for the child.
A parenting order in relation to a child may be applied for by anyone concerned with the care, welfare or development of the child, including grandparents and step-parents.
When making a parenting order in relation to a child, the court must apply a presumption that it is in the best interests of the child for the child’s parents to have equal shared parental responsibility for the child.
A parenting order in relation to a child does not take away or diminish any aspect of the parental responsibility of any person for the child except where it is specifically provided for in the parenting orders.
