Boarding School, Not The Answer
In a recent interim hearing regarding parenting arrangements, the father took the unusual approach of seeking an order that his 12 year old daughter attend a boarding school.
The existing arrangement had been that the child ‘spend time’ with her father 2 evenings a week, one day each weekend and during the school holiday periods. Difficulty had arisen however with the child refusing to spend time with him.
The father claimed that the child’s rejection of him was entirely a reflection of the mother’s attitude towards him and therefore he sought an order that the child be removed from the mother’s influence and placed in boarding school.
The mother rejected the suggestion that she had influenced the child and was opposed to the boarding school saying it was not in the child’s ‘best interest’ and the child was not mature enough.
The Court dismissed the father’s application saying that overall the evidence before the Court did not support the making of the orders he sought. The issue of which school the child should attend was one in a bundle of parenting issues that should be determined at a final hearing. The Court was of the view that there were risks to the child no matter what school she attended and that the relationship between the father and child was problematic and may not necessarily be resolved by the child attending a boarding school.
The parties consented to interim orders for the child to resume counselling and to receive assistance with problem solving skills to cope with relationships and relationship communication skills.
If you need specialist advice on parenting within the family law context, or any other family law issue, contact Michael Lynch Family Lawyers today. We’re here to give you advice especially tailored to your situation. To make an appointment, call our office on: (07) 3221 4300 or email: [email protected]