Family Court of Australia

Mr. Todd and Mrs. Todd were married in 1960 and had two children. On 23 November 1974, Mrs. Todd left the matrimonial home with the two children, but all three moved back in on 21 April 1975, where they continued to reside until the parents decided to divorce in 1976. The application for divorce under the Family Law Act 1975 (Cth) (the “Act”) initiated in the Family Law Division of the Supreme Court of New South Wales was transferred to the Family Court of Australia.

This case concerned parenting orders for the three children of the applicant mother and respondent father. The mother alleged that during her relationship with the father, he domestically abused her by shouting at her, denigrating her, physically assaulting her, and suppressing her financial autonomy. There was also evidence that the father was charged with a number of offences of assaulting his new partner (Ms. H). The Family Consultant described the father’s treatment of Ms.