In J.C.P., Chris Carta was counsel for J.B., the mother. Judge Merrick was asked to determine a range of issues including child support, parenting arrangements for a four-year-old and whether family violence had occurred. Each of the parents made allegations of physical and sexual violence against each other, with the conflict in the evidence provided which is commonplace when such claims are raised, such that the court could not determine what had actually happened. The court was, however, able to conclude that the father had committed family violence as a result of a combination of his failure to pay the full amount of child support owing and his other behaviour.

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