This is a set of orders made by the court about parenting arrangements for a child. A court can make a parenting order based on an agreement between parties (consent orders) or after a court hearing or trial.
Each person affected by the order must follow it.
A parenting order may deal with:
- who the child will live with
- how much time the child will spend with each parent and with other people, such as grandparents
- the allocation of parental responsibility
- how the child will communicate with a parent they do not live with, or other people
- any other aspect of the care, welfare or development of the child.
If the parenting order provides that two or more people have equal shared parental responsibility, any decision about a major long-term issue in relation to a child must be made jointly. This requires each person to consult with the other person and make a genuine effort to reach a joint decision.