Stephen E. J. Paull

The Children's Aid Society of Oxford County brought a motion seeking temporary care and custody of three children, alleging they were at serious risk of harm due to parental food restriction resulting in malnutrition.

The parents disputed the allegations, contending they were carefully monitoring food intake based on medical advice in response to the children's hyperphagia and food-seeking behaviours.

The court found reasonable grounds to believe the children were at risk of harm but determined that strict supervision terms with the children remaining in parental care, rather than removal, was the least intrusive order consistent with adequate protection.

The court ordered a SCAN assessment and required parental cooperation with medical recommendations and programming.

A custody and access dispute concerning a child born in April 2012 to parents who separated in June 2015.

The mother sought sole custody with alternate weekend access to the father, child and spousal support, supervised exchanges, and a restraining order.

The father sought sole custody and primary residence.

The court granted sole custody to the mother with liberal access to the father on a structured schedule.

The court found the father engaged in persistent harassment and malicious communications designed to undermine the mother's parenting role, while the mother had attempted to establish appropriate boundaries.

The court awarded child support and limited spousal support, and declined to grant a restraining order, instead imposing specific communication restrictions under the Children's Law Reform Act.

A trial decision concerning custody, access, and child support of two young children following separation.

The applicant sought joint custody with a 50/50 shared residential arrangement, while the respondent sought sole custody with structured access.

The court found incidents of domestic violence by the applicant, poor communication between the parties, and the applicant's intentional underemployment.

The court awarded sole custody to the respondent with structured overnight access to the applicant, and imputed income for child support purposes based on the applicant's capacity to earn.