A MOTHER jailed for hiring a hitman to kill her husband will take custody of their children when her parole expires.

The 34-year-old served a one year and seven month jail term over the murder plot that arose during a hostile custody dispute.

But the husband, 36, has since forgiven his wife, asking her sentencing judge to be lenient and visiting her regularly in prison.

The Federal Magistrates' Court heard the couple's children have been in the care of their grandparents but the mother asked for sole custody when her parole expires in 2014.

The nine-year-old girl and eight-year-old boy had a "fractured" relationship with their parents after witnessing their volatile and abusive relationship, the court heard.

Both parents abused drugs and alcohol during their "highly dysfunctional" union.

The court was told the girl was afraid of her father while the boy remembered police coming to arrest his mother.

Federal Magistrate Evelyn Bender said the outlook had been "bleak" for the children until the intervention of their grandparents.

"It is very apparent that (the children) ... have been severely emotionally traumatised by their parents' behaviours," she said.

The father asked for shared custody of the children, claiming they enjoyed spending time with him and denying he had assaulted their mother.

But Ms Bender said the father had failed to undertake drug screening and his denials of domestic violence had no credibility.

"It was apparent from the husband's evidence that the husband sees himself as very much a victim at this time."

Ms Bender said she had concerns about the father's capacity to meet the children's physical and emotional needs. By comparison his wife was recovering and was addressing the issues that led to her being jailed.

"The wife has been given a 'second chance' to put her life back on track," Ms Bender said.

"The wife, too, must ensure she keeps moving forward and avoids the self-destructive behaviours that led to the wife's fall from grace as much for (the children) as for herself."

Ms Bender ordered the children live with the mother from 2014 and spend supervised time with their father once a month until he provides a year of clean drug tests.

katie.bice@news.com.au