Arika Sohail

The applicant brought a motion to release the respondent's share of the net proceeds of sale of the former matrimonial home to satisfy arrears of child support and to transfer the balance to the Family Responsibility Office to be held in trust for ongoing child support.

The respondent was non-responsive and had effectively disappeared.

The court ordered release of funds to satisfy arrears and transferred the balance to the FRO as a mechanism to secure payment of ongoing support obligations.

The court dismissed the request for lump-sum child support on motion, finding that such relief must be pursued through an application or motion to change to ensure proper notice to the respondent.

This case addresses the decision-making regime and parenting schedule for a child born in March 2022.

The applicant mother sought sole decision-making and a gradual increase in the respondent father's parenting time.

The respondent father sought joint decision-making and a more expanded parenting schedule.

The court found the mother's testimony lacked credibility and noted her history of limiting the father's access and disrespect for court processes.

Conversely, the father was found credible and supportive of co-parenting.

The court, prioritizing the child's best interests and the principle of maximizing time with both parents, ordered joint decision-making and adopted the father's proposed parenting schedule, dismissing the mother's request for a gradual increase.