B.T. Paquette

The court determined costs following a seven-day family law trial concerning custody, parenting, and child support.

The Mother was found to be substantially successful at trial and acted reasonably, making multiple settlement offers.

The Father made only one offer, close to trial, and was unsuccessful on his main claims.

The Mother was awarded $45,000 in costs, inclusive of HST and disbursements.

The Father's request for costs related to a resolved medical records motion was denied, as there was no compelling reason to award costs for a settled matter.

Of the total costs, $4,500 (10%) was deemed enforceable by the Family Responsibility Office, reflecting the proportion of time spent on child support issues.

The Applicant sought joint custody and a 50/50 parenting schedule, with no child support.

The Respondent sought sole custody and primary residence, with guideline child support.

The court found that the parties were unable to communicate effectively for the children's best interests, citing the Applicant's anger issues, substance abuse, and controlling behaviour.

The court granted the Respondent sole custody and maintained the existing parenting schedule, which did not meet the 40% threshold for shared custody.

The Applicant was ordered to pay guideline child support of $650 per month and a proportionate share of s. 7 expenses.