Tag: Custody and Contact

People regularly use the words custody and contact when discussing parenting arrangements. For the most part, we know they are referring to the amount of time a child spends with each parent. While it seems appropriate to use the terms custody and contact when referring to the legal and hands-on relationship between a parent and their child, in Australia these terms are no longer used. Australian Family Law uses the terms “lives with” and “spends time with” when making Court Orders for parenting arrangements. There is no rule that children must spend equal or “50:50” time with each parent. Lives...