Sarah Giamberardino

The applicant mother sought sole decision-making authority and primary residence of the two children, with the respondent father's parenting time limited to the status quo.

The father sought parallel decision-making and a shared parenting schedule.

The court found that the parties had a high-conflict relationship and that the mother's judgment was impacted by her negative view of the father, including unsubstantiated allegations of sexual abuse.

Relying on the recommendations of a court-appointed assessor, the court ordered parallel decision-making, granting the father authority over health decisions and the mother authority over education and dental decisions.

The court also expanded the father's parenting time to include alternating weekends and every Wednesday overnight.

Following divided success on their respective family law motions, both the applicant and respondent sought costs.

The applicant sought full indemnity costs based on an offer to settle, while the respondent sought substantial indemnity costs.

The court found that neither party was substantially successful, both parties engaged in inappropriate conduct that unnecessarily increased costs, and the applicant's offer to settle was not substantially more favourable than the order obtained.

Consequently, the court ordered that each party bear their own costs.

The father brought a motion for increased parenting time and joint decision-making authority, while the mother brought a cross-motion seeking sole decision-making, a Voice of the Child Report, child support, section 7 expenses, an anger management course, and drug testing for the father.

The court granted the father increased parenting time but awarded the mother sole decision-making authority over medical issues.

The court also ordered the involvement of the Office of the Children's Lawyer or a Voice of the Child Report, directed the father to pay child support and section 7 arrears, and ordered him to complete an anger management program.

The mother's requests for drug testing and disclosure of third-party medical records were dismissed.

The court determined costs following a series of motions and cross-motions regarding the father's parenting time.

The father was largely successful in increasing his parenting time, while the mother was successful on an evidentiary motion excluding surreptitious recordings.

After offsetting the costs awards for the various appearances and sanctioning both parties for unreasonable conduct and non-compliance with court orders, the mother was ordered to pay the father $9,070 in costs.