Claudia Belda

In a family law proceeding concerning an eight‑year‑old child, the court addressed trial management issues relating to a dispute over the father's access to the child.

The parties agreed that the mother would have custody, leaving the principal issue for trial as the nature, frequency, and conditions of the father’s access, including whether access should be supervised.

The court directed the parties to prepare detailed calendars documenting proposed and exercised access, and ordered the exchange of factual statements before trial.

Additional procedural agreements were recorded, including potential electronic examination of the children's lawyer's report author and continuation of the temporary order pending trial.

The applicant father brought a motion seeking unsupervised access to his child, or alternatively supervised access, along with an order appointing a psychologist to conduct an assessment.

The respondent mother sought limited supervised access and requested that the Office of the Children’s Lawyer represent the child.

The court found that the child had minimal prior contact with the father and had not seen him for over a year.

Balancing the child’s need for stability and the potential to gradually develop a relationship with the father, the court ordered biweekly supervised access through a supervised access program for six months and requested involvement of the Children’s Lawyer.

The request for a psychological assessment was dismissed without prejudice, and custody was granted to the mother on consent.