—
A 17-year-old boy has spent the majority of his life involved in a family law dispute between his parents.
In this Queensland case, the parents first entered court when the boy was about to turn three. They remain no closer to reaching a resolution to the drawn-out dispute.
The child at the centre of the custody dispute has now entreated the presiding judge to “make all this stop.” He feels “in the middle and bouncing between parents,” he told the court.
Judge Margaret Cassidy has strongly criticised the impact this 15-year dispute has had on the couple’s child.
“It is startling that the parents are so lacking in insight that they could not put any views and anxieties they have aside, with even the help of therapy, to let this little boy grow to his potential with their assistance,” Judge Cassidy said in a recent judgement.
The teenage boy has been diagnosed with autism, borderline intellectual impairment, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety and Sever’s disease. He has just finished high school and will turn 18 in June this year.
“This is one of the more unfortunate examples of an incredibly long case having such an impact on the child’s life,” says Sydney-based family lawyer Hayder Shkara. “A family dispute doesn’t just affect the separated couple. Children can be very negatively affected.”
The father had made an application to the court, seeking orders for his son to live with him for one weekend each month. This application was dismissed.
The child’s mother has a five-year domestic violence order against her former husband. The child has not seen his father since 2015.
It is due to the evidence of domestic violence that the mother and father do not have equal shared parental responsibility.
“It is really the lack of capacity to communicate and the profound conflict between the parents that would be the reason I would not make the order,” explained Judge Cassidy.
The boy has no wish to see his father, who is also involved in a criminal court case.
To learn more about Justice Family Lawyers and their services, visit the website here: Justice Family Lawyers
Release ID: 480956