Mettrick & Mettrick No 2 2014 FamCA 507

The judge drew attention to a letter the father gave to the children at the conclusion of a contact period.  The judge interpreted the letter as having overtones of being a farewell letter, a goodbye letter, and a message to the boys that unless things changed he may cease to be a part of their lives.  The judge noted a statement by the father that the father’s intention was merely to tell the boys that he loved them, and that the father did not intend the letter to be viewed as a farewell letter.  The judge described the letter as a poignant example of some discrepancy between intention and interpretation, and concluded that the father failed to appreciate the impact the letter was likely to have on others (impact on child).