FAMILY LAW —
CHILDREN — Best interests — Where both parents seek sole parental responsibility and for the
child to live with them — Where the respondent mother believes the
child would settle down and accept the arrangement if the court ordered for the
child to spend no time with applicant father — Where the court has a statutory mandate to make parenting orders with the
child's best interests as the paramount concern — Where there is little doubt that the
child would benefit from having a
meaningful relationship with both parents — Where the
child's clear views that he does not want to spend time with the respondent mother should be given significant weight in the circumstances — Where the
child is of an age, maturity and intelligence to have principally
formed his own rationally based views — Where the court is satisfied that it is in the
child's best interests for the presumption of equal shared parental responsibility to be rebutted — Where the respondent father is to have sole parental responsibility and the
child is to live with him — Where the applicant mother is permitted to attend certain school and sporting events of the
child — Where the
child should be able to instigate contact with the respondent mother as he considers appropriate to his needs and circumstances — Where the orders made are least likely to lead to the institution of further proceedings in relation to the
child — Where the
child is to have the outcome of these proceedings, the effect of the orders and the reasons for judgment explained to him by an expert as soon as reasonably practical.
Group care can be a place where all
children, caregivers, and parents
form deep,
meaningful, and satisfying
relationships that support both the family and the full development of the
children.