Back

Parenting Arrangements During Lockdown

11 August 2020

The Government has announced that the Auckland region will be subject to level 3 restrictions from 12:00pm today, and that all other regions will be subject to level 2 restrictions. Parents, guardians and caregivers with children subject to parenting orders may be wondering how this affects their arrangements.

Under the former level 3 order, shared care arrangements could continue to operate between two households located within the same or adjacent regions if every adult in both households agreed to isolate as if they were one household. It is presently unclear whether this exemption will be carried through into Auckland’s new level 3 order. If it is, we expect that it will only allow shared bubble arrangements to occur between two households that are both situated within the Auckland region, provided every adult occupant agrees.

Because there was no exemption for contact under the former level 3 order, we do not expect there to be one in Auckland’s new level 3 order either. If we are right about this, then physical contact will not permitted within the Auckland region between children and other persons who are isolating outside their household or shared bubble arrangement.

Otherwise, we expect level 2 restrictions to be re-issued across all other regions on identical terms to those we experienced earlier this year. This means that parenting orders and agreements between households located in level 2 regions can continue to operate as usual.

If you have any more questions about your parenting order or parenting arrangements, please contact us on (07) 834 6000 and ask to speak to a member of our Family Disputes Team for a ‘no obligation’ initial discussion.

Jo Naidoo is part of our Family Disputes team at Norris Ward McKinnon.

Family Disputes Team