Parenting and Decision Making

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Above all else your children are your highest priority.  The introduction of the revised March 1, 2021 Divorce Act changed previous terminology from "Access" and "Custody" to "Parenting" and "Decision-Making".  
 

Parenting relates to the schedule by which a child resides with each parent.  Decision Making relates to the responsibility of making major decisions for a child’s care and upbringing such as:
 

• Their schooling

• Their place of residence

• Their medical treatments or regimes that they will receive

• Their practicing religion

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Parenting and Decision Making issues need not be complex but at times may in fact pose complex conversations.  Adding to this, parents and children alike may have experienced traumatic situations leading up to the separation and this can manifest in many ways.  The net effect may be complex grief, which will add a layer of discussion during mediation where the family mediator will seek to gradually bring the spouses to a state where they are in a position to work towards a resolution.  The time and effort required to complete a Parenting Plan in family mediation can vary depending on the circumstances of the spouses and children.  In addition to the use of a family mediator, a "voice of the child" report may be sought to assist with the children's wishes. 

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