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FAMILY COURT ACT 1997 - SECT 84

84 .         Meaning of parenting order and related terms — FLA s. 64B

        (1)         A parenting order is —

            (a)         an order under this Part (including an order until further order) dealing with a matter mentioned in subsection (2); or

            (b)         an order under this Part discharging, varying, suspending or reviving an order, or part of an order, described in paragraph (a).

        (1A)         However, a declaration or order under Division 11 Subdivision 4 is not a parenting order.

        (2)         A parenting order may deal with one or more of the following —

            (a)         the person or persons with whom a child is to live;

            (b)         the time a child is to spend with another person or other persons;

            (c)         the allocation of parental responsibility for a child;

            (d)         if 2 or more persons are to share parental responsibility for a child, the form of consultations those persons are to have with one another about decisions to be made in the exercise of that responsibility;

            (e)         the communication a child is to have with another person or other persons;

            (f)         maintenance of a child;

            (g)         the steps to be taken before an application is made to a court for a variation of the order to take account of the changing needs or circumstances of —

                  (i)         a child to whom the order relates; or

                  (ii)         the parties to the proceedings in which the order is made;

            (h)         the process to be used for resolving disputes about the terms or operation of the order;

                  (i)         any aspect of the care, welfare or development of the child or any other aspect of parental responsibility for a child.

        (2a)         The person referred to in subsection (2) may be, or include, either a parent of the child or a person other than the parent of the child (including a grandparent or other relative of the child).

        (3)         Without limiting subsection (2)(c), the order may deal with the allocation of responsibility for making decisions about major long-term issues in relation to the child.

        (4)         The communication referred to in subsection (2)(e) includes (but is not limited to) communication by —

            (a)         letter; and

            (b)         telephone, email or any other electronic means.

        (4a)         Without limiting subsection (2)(g) and (h), the parenting order may provide that the parties to the proceedings must consult with a family dispute resolution practitioner to assist with —

            (a)         resolving any dispute about the terms or operation of the order; or

            (b)         reaching agreement about changes to be made to the order.

        (5)         To the extent (if at all) that a parenting order deals with the matter mentioned in subsection (2)(f), the order is a child maintenance order .

        (6)         For the purposes of this Act —

            (a)         a parenting order that provides that a child is to live with a person is made in favour of that person; and

            (b)         a parenting order that provides that a child is to spend time with a person is made in favour of that person; and

            (c)         a parenting order that provides that a child is to have communication with a person is made in favour of that person; and

            (d)         a parenting order that —

                  (i)         allocates parental responsibility for a child to a person; or

                  (ii)         provides that a person is to share parental responsibility for a child with another person,

                is made in favour of that person.

        [Section 84 amended: No. 35 of 2006 s. 90; No. 13 of 2013 s. 26.]



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