Breaking up is never easy, especially when the relationship has come so far that a ring has been involved. In the moments of heartache and confusion that follow a breakup, it can be difficult to know what to do with the physical reminders of your relationship – particularly if it is an engagement or promise… Continue reading Who Gets the Ring in the Breakup?
Extra-Curricular Activities Children benefit from participating in extra-curricular activities like sports teams, lessons or clubs. These activities tend to come with a time commitment for the children to be present at set times for practices, team building activities, recitals or games. There is usually a cost that is considered a section 7 expense requiring each… Continue reading Using Third Party Services as a Control Tactic
Whose Time Is It? It’s the right of the child to spend time and to have a relationship with both parents. For obvious reasons, it’s easier for this to happen when both parents live together and function as a family unit. When parents live separate and apart from each other, the child’s time is usually… Continue reading Time Conflict: Can I Go or Is the Answer No?
The daycare is sometimes used to exchange the child from one parent to the other. This means that the child is left at the daycare by one parent and picked-up by the other parent. This strategy limits contact between parents that fight or have safety concerns. A court order for daycare exchanges might state: The… Continue reading Daycare Exchanges
Make Your Winter Parenting Time Count It’s a chilly winter day, but that doesn’t mean you and your kids have to stay indoors! With the right gear and attitude, there are plenty of fun outdoor winter activities for kids to enjoy in the cold weather. So bundle up and come along as we explore some… Continue reading Brrr-ing on the Fun with These Outdoor Winter Activities for Kids!
Problem Solving: Out-of-Court Options Court is not the only way to solve problems in difficult family situations. Parents can save a ton of money and avoid a ton of stress by pursuing out-of-court options. Those that can make decisions without undue influence should consider these options before filing a court application: Informal Meetings Parents that… Continue reading Non-Court Options
Families that celebrate Christmas want to share the holiday with their children. Christmas holidays are loaded with exciting times and traditions. It’s a holiday filled with Christmas movies and music, decorations, Christmas trees, presents, baked goods and traditional meals enjoyed with loved ones. Christmas is even more magical for families with young children. Some families encourage… Continue reading Christmas Parenting Time
Families with Halloween traditions want to share them with their kids. Some families carve pumpkins, decorate, bake spooky treats, make costumes, visit haunted houses and go trick-or-treating in their community. Halloween is full of fun memories (and candy) for children. After separation, parents want their children to spend Halloween with them to continue the traditions… Continue reading Halloween Parenting Time
A mother never questions if she is the biological mother to her child. A mother knows the child is hers the moment she finds out about her pregnancy. It is usually a choice when a mother is not a biological match to her child. The mother could have used a donor or egg or the… Continue reading Are the Kids Even Mine?
In some parenting situations, one parent withholds the child from the other parent for reasons related to family violence, substance abuse issues, inappropriate discipline, inadequate parenting skills or neglect, lack of parenting experience or other significant concerns. In other situations, the child is withheld as a control tactic to dictate and control the other parent. The Primary… Continue reading Supervised Visits
Abuse can happen in any relationship. In romantic relationships, the term Domestic Violence or Intimate Partner Violence are often used interchangeably. We use the term Family Violence because it extends to other non-romantic relationships like siblings or family members. What is Family Violence? Family violence is a complex social issue that takes on many forms.… Continue reading Family Violence is Not Black and White
What is an Emergency Protection Order? An Emergency Protection Order (“EPO”) is a tool designed to help victims of family violence. By obtaining an EPO, the alleged abuser (the “Respondent”) is legally prevented from contacting the victim (the “Claimant”) and from being anywhere near the Claimant for a set period of time. An EPO can… Continue reading Emergency Protection Orders
Which parent buys the school supplies? School supplies are usually not a section 7 expense. In parenting situations where one parent has day-to-day care of the child and the other parent pays child support, the child support should be sufficient to help cover the routine costs of supplies. If the school supplies are above average… Continue reading School Supplies
“You can’t have your cake and eat it, too.” Sharing is an important skill that is required to function in society. If a child does not learn how to share, take turns or compromise, the child will struggle in social situations. The child will likely have very few, if any, friends. When disagreements arise, the… Continue reading I don’t want to share
Author: Murray Gottheil There was once a medium-sized law firm in Ontario which had two bright, young, industrious associates. Both of these associates were being considered for partnership, back in the day when all young lawyers wanted to become partners. One of the two associates, who I will call Richard, was a shoe-in. The other… Continue reading It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time
Separated parents often have different opinions about what is “best” for the child. Parents that fail to consider the thoughts and feelings of the child usually end up treating the child like property. This is most often accomplished when a parent withholds the child from the other parent to use the child as leverage in… Continue reading Withholding Access as a Control Tactic
These are the top mistakes people make when searching for a lawyer: Asking how long a lawyer has been a lawyer People often get caught up on the year the lawyer started practicing law. The length of time that has passed since the lawyer completed school does not mean the lawyer is experienced in the… Continue reading Mistakes People Make When Hiring a Lawyer
You can’t force someone to be a parent. It does not matter how much effort you put into facilitating the other parents time or how much effort you put into “making it easy” for the other parent to be involved. In order for the other parent to succeed, they must be willing to put in… Continue reading Uninvolved Parents
What do I if I suspect my children are being alienated against me? Parental alienation is when one parent attempts to turn the child against the other parent. Parental alienation involves a series of deliberate steps aimed at sabotaging the child’s relationship with the other parent. This can be accomplished by speaking negatively about the… Continue reading Parental Alienation
Should the child’s stuff be allowed to travel between both parents homes? At the breakdown of a relationship, parents establish their own households separate and apart from their former spouse. The children then travel between both households to spend time with each parent. Sometimes parents are unable to agree on whether or not the child… Continue reading Children’s Possessions