Mark Petty

The applicant mother and respondent father sought orders regarding parenting time and child support for their three-year-old child.

The father sought expanded, unsupervised parenting time, while the mother sought to suspend his parenting time due to the child's recent severe resistance and separation anxiety.

The court found no evidence of family violence or intentional alienation, attributing the child's resistance to normal developmental stages, the mother's anxiety, and the infrequency of visits.

The court ordered a step-up parenting plan, beginning with virtual visits and progressing to alternate weekend overnights.

The court also ordered the father to pay retroactive child support from December 1, 2020, and ongoing support of $539 per month, with a $50 monthly reduction for travel expenses.

The applicant mother sought sole custody and specific child support orders, including arrears, for her two children from the respondent father.

The respondent father opposed the variation and sought sole custody for himself.

The court found a material change in circumstances due to chronic parental conflict, communication issues, and the children's evolving needs, particularly Dante's ADHD.

The court granted sole custody to the mother, finding her parenting plan more child-focused and her communication more effective.

The father's access was set to alternate weekends, with potential for mid-week access contingent on his participation in counselling.

Child support and special expenses were adjusted and arrears confirmed.