In the event of a separation there will be a number of issues which relate to your children. These will include:

• Residence: to determine where the children will live on a day-to-day basis.


• Contact: relates to the arrangements that may be made for the children to visit their other parent or other significant people in their lives, such as grandparents, relatives, etc.


• Specific Issues/Responsibility for Long Term Care, Welfare & Development: involves the responsibilities of parents which relate to long-term decisions e.g. education, religious upbringing, use of surname, whether a child may go to live overseas or interstate and major health decisions. Joint responsibility is the usual order of a court, but there are times when this is not appropriate.

• Make your own decisions by agreement between both parents;


• Negotiate a settlement;


• Seek a Court decision;


• Arrange counselling or mediation to help you talk to the children’s other parent.