Child Custody Laws In Canada
Canadian custody laws are comprised of both the federal Divorce Act andprovincial custody legislation. An order for custody must be made with the childs best interests as the paramount consideration in Canada.
The court also has inherent parens patriae jurisdiction to make a custody order with respect to a child if, for example, a child is at risk of harm and the governing laws do not provide for that childs unique circumstances.
In summary, one or more of the following Canadian custody laws may apply to you:
What If The Information In Myaffidavit Changes
Yoursituation may change several times, particularly if you have recently separatedfrom your partner.
If the changeis minor, you can swear an affidavit in which you explain what has changed and if or how it might affectyour plan. For example, you could file a short affidavit explaining that thechilds daycare has changed to an after-school program.
If the change is more substantial, you mustcomplete a new affidavit so that the court has accurate and up to dateinformation.
Is There A Preference Of Full Custody For Mothers
Most states used to award custody to mothers more often than to fathers. Now, almost every state has laws allowing both parents to get custody. As many fathers know, however, some judges still believe the mother should be the custodial parent. Some states are better than others in allowing either you or your spouse to have an equal chance of getting full custody.
If you’re seeking sole custody, you should hire an experienced family lawyer. Custody is too important to handle by yourself.
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Parent Has A Problem With Drug Or Alcohol Abuse Or Addiction
Having a problem with drugs or alcohol does not automatically render someone an unfit parent. The accusing parent must prove that there is a risk of imminent harm to the child.
If you accuse your ex of being unfit for this reason, know that the court will likely order drug or alcohol testing for you both. To retain custody, anyone testing positive will likely have to submit to periodic testing and show that they are undergoing treatment for their problem.
Sharing Of Custody Time
In Québec, no custody model is given preference by the courts. Each case is unique, and the only criterion taken into account before a court makes its decision is the interest of the child. In the decision, the court will try to ensure that the childs links with both parents are maintained as far as possible, once again in the childs interest. Unless there is proof to the contrary, the court assumes that both parents have adequate parenting abilities.
There are three types of custody :
- sole custody, where one parents assumes more than 80% of custody time for the child
- sole custody with visiting and prolonged outing rights, where the parent who does not have custody assumes more than 20% of custody time, but less than 40%
- shared custody, where each parent assumes between 40% and 60% of custody time for the child.
There are many different ways to organize the time a child lives with each parent. Here are some examples:
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Do The Courts Ever Order Final Decision
Only in rare instances. But there is precedent for it in the First and Third Judicial Departments.
The First Department, in Trapp v. Trapp 136AD3d 178, 526 NYS 2 nd 95 did not award joint legal custody, but allowed joint decision making in respect to religion and citizenship, finding the parents who were highlyantagonistic to each other, would not have to consult often on these issues which play a profound role in the child’s heritage.
In the First Department case of Mars v. Mars 286 AD. 2d. 29991 729 NYS 2d 29 , the Court awarded custody to the stay-at-HOME mother but vested final decision making on religion and dental care to the father. This was based on the fact that the father demonstrated greater interest in the children’s religious upbringing. On the issue of dental care, he was given decision rights because of his professional expertise.
Because the Court found both parents to be controlling, impulsive, self-centered and judgmental, and could not be trusted not to interfere with the other’s relationship with the children, the Court ordered that both parents were to consult with each in their areas of decision making.
In Davis v. Davis 240 A.D. 2d 928, 658 NYS 2d 548 the Third Department affirmed the Family Court order granting the mother sole custody. But the Court gave the father the ultimate decision-making authority in the child’s religious upbringing and educational needs.
Legal Considerations For Those Seeking Full Custody
It’s important to understand how family court works and what to expect. Judges will consider a variety of factors while making a custody decision. They will look at:
- the paternity of a child
- each parent’s relationship with the child
- how far parents live from one another
- past histories of domestic violence or abuse
- incarceration and more
Provinces and territories can vary widely on child custody legal matters. Read up on what the laws where you’re seeking custody say about how to get full custody. The chances of getting full custody vary widely by location and situation.
Under the best circumstances, you and your ex-partner may be able to hash out a full custody agreement. If you can agree upon a sole custody arrangement, do so.
Then, present your arrangement to a judge. Typically, judges will approve these.
When one parent is noncooperative and refuses to come to court, the path for how to get full custody gets easier. When one parent neglects to be involved in family court and does not protest the custody, they show disinterest. A judge is more likely to side with the parent suing for full custody.
If you and your ex can’t agree, then you’ll face a long, uphill battle. You will have to prove to the court that your ex-partner represents a serious threat to your child. This can be challenging and difficult.
But extreme risks to the wellbeing of the child must exist and be proven to a judge. Otherwise, family court will not deny access of a parent to their child.
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What Are Special Needs
A child withspecial needs has needs above and beyond those that are typical for a childof his or her age and stage of development. The court wants to make sure thatif a child needs extra help or services, you will do your best to make surethey are provided.
Some examples of special needs are:
How Do I Provide The Police Records Check
You mustprovide a police records check that includes more information than a list ofany convictions. The check will be similar to the checks done for people whoapply to work or volunteer with children or other potentially vulnerablepeople.
If youreceived a police records check for the purpose of a custody application by anon-parent within the last 60 days:
If you do nothave a recent police records check for the purpose of a custody application bya non-parent:
- go to yourlocal police station and tell them that you are applying for a custodyorder and need a police check for court
- make a noteof the date you asked for the check and
- indicate in paragraph 13 whatdate you asked for the check and the name of the police department.
Unless you have made arrangements to pick up the police record check, the police will send you a copy. You must serve and file a copy of the report within 10 days of receiving it.
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What Should I Do If I Am Asked To Attach Court Orders Or Endorsements
Whereverpossible, the court wants to see copies of any child protection, custody oraccess orders that were made in other family court cases involving you or thechildren. You should include copies of temporary and final orders if you havethem.
If you have acopy of the order, attach it to the affidavit. If you do not have an order,but have a copy of the judges handwritten endorsement , you can attach theendorsement instead.
If you donthave either the order or endorsement and you have time, you can ask the staffat the court office where the order was made for a copy.
What Is Full Custody
Child custody refers to the legal and practical relationship between a child and a parent or guardian. Custody is generally determined in the event of a divorce or legal separation. State laws regarding child custody vary by jurisdiction, although the overall standard for child custody decisions is the childâs best interests standard. The needs of the child, and what would be in their best interests, are placed above the parentâs preferences. Additionally, family courts will only make child custody decisions if those decisions best benefit the child.
Although there are different types of child custody arrangements, the two types that a family court will generally consider are full custody, and joint custody. Simply put, full custody refers to one parent being designated the primary custodial parent that parent has the majority of the custody time, as well as legal rights regarding the child. Joint custody refers to an arrangement in which both of the childâs parents split physical custody of the child, with one parent possibly retaining legal custody.
Full custody is an arrangement in which only one parent assumes all of the responsibilities associated with caring for and raising their child. Full custody may be granted to the primary custodial parent when the following situations are present:
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How Do I Find Out Who Has Custody Of My Child
If you do not have legal custody of your child, and you know where you child resides, you can file an application with the court in that county and ask for a determination of custody. If you do not know where you child is living, you may need to hire someone to help you find them. Generally, court documents concerning custody are confidential, but you can request a release of those documents. It is advised that you seek the assistance of an attorney to help you with this process.
Can I Be Awarded Sole Legal Custody Of My Child
It is possible to be awarded sole legal custody of your child, where you would be the only parent making the big decisions in your childs life. However, it is almost always ordered by the court that both parents share joint legal custody and have input into their childs life decisions. If the other parent of your child has been largely absent from the childs life for a long period of time, or if you and the other parent have a domestic violence restraining order in place against either of you, then the court will not order joint legal custody. Further, if the other parent is incarcerated or incapable of making decisions for your child, then the court is unlikely to award joint legal custody.
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What Is Sole Custody
The general phrase sole custody can refer to sole physical custody, sole legal custody or both. You’ll also hear sole custody called full custody.
If a parent has sole physical custody, their child lives with them full time and have visits with the other parent, unless the court finds that visits wouldn’t be in the child’s best interest.
If a parent has sole legal custody, they can make all major decisions regarding the child without consulting the other parent this includes decisions about medical care, education, religious upbringing and moral development. The other parent can still make small, day-to-day choices when caring for the child.
Custody X Change is software that creates parenting plans for custody agreements.
Best Interests Of The Child
In all custody proceedings in New York, the main concern for the court in awarding custody is the best interest of the child. The best interest of the child test means that the courts are required to balance the ability of each parent to meet the needs of the child or children.
The court will determine child custody based on the best interest of the child test by evaluating a number of factors. It is rare that one factor by itself will determine custody. Instead, courts will make a finding on custody based on the totality of the factors. These factors include the following:
In addition, the court may also consider any other factor that might affect the best interests of the child.
Legal Editor: Angela Barker, January 2015
Changes may occur in this area of law. The information provided is brought to you as a public service with the help and assistance of volunteer legal editors, and is intended to help you better understand the law in general. It is not intended to be legal advice regarding your particular problem or to substitute for the advice of a lawyer.
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What Happens At The Hearing
If the parties agree about custody of the child, the judge may take testimony from both parties and enter an order of custody on consent, without the need for a formal hearing. If the parties cannot reach an agreement about custody, the court will hold a hearing, taking testimony from both sides, and may appoint a lawyer to represent the child. The court may order an investigation and report from a social services agency or mental health professional. After considering the evidence presented, the court will award custody based upon what is in the child’s best interests.
In some counties in New York City, a custody or visitation case may be heard by a Family Court “court attorney-referee”, who may hear and decide the case and issue orders.
Judges or referees may also refer parties to mediation
Best Interest Of The Child
When determining the custody arrangement, like all state courts, Massachusetts courts are primarily concerned with the best interests of the child. The law starts with the premise that, absent misconduct, the rights of each parent in a custody case are equal. From that standpoint, the court determines custody based on the emotional, physical, and moral health and needs of the child. A parent seeking sole custody might wish to present evidence to the court showing that she is more capable of meeting the child’s emotional and physical needs than the other parent. For example, a parent might indicate that since she works from home instead of commuting to a workplace, she has more time to spend with the child, or she might present witness testimony that she always attends the child’s dance practices or soccer games, whereas the other parent is never there.
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Pros And Cons Of Sole Legal Custody
It’s important to remember that sole legal custody is different from sole physical custody. With sole physical custody, the children reside at one location. Sometimes the non-custodial parent will still get visitation rights including sleepovers and vacations together.
But other than that, one parent has physical custody of the child. The only time visitation does not occur is when it’s unsafe for the children to be with the non-custodial parent because of issues like abuse, neglect, instability, or substance misuse.
Having sole physical custody does not give one parent the right to make all the decisions though. For that to happen, they need to also have sole legal custody. This type of custody gives one parent the legal right to make all decisions regarding the children.
Sometimes physical custody and sole legal custody are awarded together, but this is not always the case. A parent can have physical custody and not have sole legal custody or vice versa.
In many states, sole legal custody is becoming less common unless joint legal custody is deemed unsafe for the child. As a result, joint legal custodywhich means parents share in the decision-making is becoming the default decision in many family court systems. Here are the pros and cons of sole legal custody.
What Are The Types Of Custody In New York State
The judge will look at a number of factors to determine what custody or visitation arrangement is in the best interests of the children involved.
The courts can split up custody a number of ways. Here are some examples:
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The court grants joint physical and joint legal custody: children split their time 50/50 between both parents. Both parents have the authority to make major decisions involving the children , and must consult and agree on these decisions.
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The court grants sole physical custody and joint legal custody: Parent A is granted sole physical custody , and the children live with them most of the time. Parent B, the non-custodial parent, is granted visitation rights. Both parents have the authority to make major decisions involving the children , and must consult and agree on these decisions.
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The court grants sole physical custody and sole legal custody to one parent: Parent A is granted both sole physical custody and sole legal custody. The children live with them, and they have the authority to make the major decisions for the children. Parent B is granted visitation rights, and has the right to know information about their children , but has no authority over the final decisions.
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