D.K. v. L.C.-G.,

• Jurisdiction: New Brunswick
• Judge: Walsh, J.
• Neutral Citation: 2012 NBQB 252
• Date: 09 August 2012
• Court: Court of Queen's Bench of New Brunswick (Canada)

D.K. v. L.C.-G. (2012), 392 N.B.R.(2d) 244 (FD);

    392 R.N.-B.(2e) 244; 1016 A.P.R. 244

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Temp. Cite: [2012] N.B.R.(2d) TBEd. SE.004

Renvoi temp.: [2012] N.B.R.(2d) TBEd. SE.004

D.K. (applicant) v. L.C.-G. (respondent)

(FDSJ-752-08; 2012 NBQB 252; 2012 NBBR 252)

Indexed As: D.K. v. L.C.-G.

Répertorié: D.K. v. L.C.-G.

New Brunswick Court of Queen's Bench

Family Division

Judicial District of Saint John

Walsh, J.

August 9, 2012.

Summary:

Résumé:

A 2009 order granted the parties joint custody of their son. The father sought to enforce his access. The mother sought a variation of the order to deny the father access and grant her sole custody. The child had been diagnosed as autistic.

The New Brunswick Court of Queen's Bench, Family Division, held that the presumption of joint custody provided in s. 129(1) of the Family Services Act had not been rebutted. The court granted the father a period of transitional access followed by alternate weekends.

Editor's Note: Certain names in the following case have been initialized or the case otherwise edited to prevent the disclosure of identities where required by law, publication ban, Maritime Law Book's editorial policy or otherwise.

Family Law - Topic 1950.1

Custody and access - Variation of custody and access rights - Changed circumstances of child - A 2009 order granted the parties joint custody of their autistic son - The father sought to enforce his access - The mother sought a variation of the order to deny the father access and grant her sole custody - In 2010, the child was diagnosed as meeting the criteria for Autism Spectrum Disorder - The father also breached a condition of the original order that he not consume alcohol while the child was in his care - The New Brunswick Court of Queen's Bench, Family Division, held that the child's diagnosis and what had happened since that diagnosis respecting his therapy constituted a material change in the circumstances - The father's consumption of alcohol in breach of the original order met the legal threshold for material change too - See paragraphs 7 and 8.

Family Law - Topic 1952

Custody and access - Variation of custody and access rights - Conduct necessary to support variation - [See Family Law - Topic 1950.1 ].

Family Law - Topic 1995

Custody and access - Access - Considerations in awarding access - Health of child - [See Family Law - Topic 2072 ].

Family Law - Topic 1997

Custody and access - Access - Considerations in awarding access - Capacity of parents - [See Family Law - Topic 2072 ].

Family Law - Topic 2004

Custody and access - Access - Grounds for refusal, restriction or variation of access - [See Family Law - Topic 2072 ].

Family Law - Topic 2029

Custody and access - Access - Termination or suspension - [See Family Law - Topic 2072 ].

Family Law - Topic 2072

Custody and access - Joint custody - When available - A 2009 order granted the parties joint custody of their son - The mother had day to day care and the father was to have reasonable access - The father sought to enforce his access - The mother sought a variation of the order to deny the father access and grant her sole custody - The child had been diagnosed as autistic - The mother mistrusted the father - She alleged that he was an alcoholic, his access disrupted the child's routine and that he should not be involved in the child's life - She viewed her husband as the child's father - The parties could not effectively communicate with each other - The mother had continually frustrated the father's access - She had made complaints to the police and the Department of Social Development - The mother had "thwarted" an interim order requiring that she ensure that the child regularly attend an autism therapy centre - As a result, the child was not ready for kindergarten - The New Brunswick Court of Queen's Bench, Family Division, held that the presumption of joint custody provided in s. 129(1) of the Family Services Act had not been rebutted - Despite the inability of the parents to effectively communicate, this was a unique case where joint custody should continue - The father should be at least consulted by the mother on major decisions regarding the child, if only to ensure that the father was kept timely informed - The father had matured - He was capable caring for the child when exercising access - He had support from his mother - Following a period of transitional access, the father was granted access on alternate weekends.

Family Law - Topic 2074

Custody and access - Joint custody - Termination of - [See Family Law - Topic 2072 ].

Droit de la famille - Cote 1950.1

Garde et accès - Modification des droits de garde et d'accès - Changement de circonstances de l'enfant- [Voir Family Law - Topic 1950.1 ].

Droit de la famille - Cote 1952

Garde et accès - Modification des droits de garde et d'accès - Conduite requise pour justifier une modification - [Voir Family Law - Topic 1952 ].

Droit de la famille - Cote 1995

Garde et accès - Enfants - Accès - Facteurs considérés - Santé de l'enfant - [Voir Family Law - Topic 1995 ].

Droit de la famille - Cote 1997

Garde et accès - Accès - Facteurs considérés - Capacité des parents - [Voir Family Law - Topic 1997 ].

Droit de la famille - Cote 2004

Garde et accès - Accès - Motifs de refus, restriction ou modification des droits d'accès - [Voir Family Law - Topic 2004 ].

Droit de la famille - Cote 2029

Garde et accès - Accès - Suppression ou suspension des droits d'accès - [Voir Family Law - Topic 2029 ].

Droit de la famille - Cote 2072

Garde et accès - Garde conjointe - Conditions d'ouverture - [Voir Family Law - Topic 2072 ].

Droit de la famille - Cote 2074

Garde et accès - Garde conjointe - Cessation - [Voir Family Law - Topic 2074 ].

Cases Noticed:

Cairns v. Cairns (1995), 159 N.B.R.(2d) 264; 409 A.P.R. 264; 10 R.F.L.(4th) 234 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 2].

Ferrara v. Trafford (1988), 85 N.B.R.(2d) 332; 217 A.P.R. 332 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 2].

Gordon v. Goertz, [1996] 2 S.C.R. 27; 196 N.R. 321; 141 Sask.R. 241; 114 W.A.C. 241, refd to. [para. 2].

K.C.W.V. v. K.L.P. (2010), 363 N.B.R.(2d) 351; 936 A.P.R. 351; 2010 NBCA 70, refd to. [para. 9].

Young v. Young et al., [1993] 4 S.C.R. 3; 160 N.R. 1; 34 B.C.A.C. 161; 56 W.A.C. 161, refd to. [para. 15].

New Brunswick (Minister of Social Development) v. G.B. et al. (2012), 392 N.B.R.(2d) 209; 1016 A.P.R. 209; 2012 NBCA 62, refd to. [para. 52].

J.F. v. T.E., [2010] W.D.F.L. 1483; 354 N.B.R.(2d) 260; 913 A.P.R. 260; 2010 NBCA 14, refd to. [para. 41].

Neill v. Best (1995), 147 N.S.R.(2d) 54; 426 A.P.R. 54 (Fam. Ct.), refd to. [para. 59].

J.W. v. D.W. - see Wedsworth v. Wedsworth.

Wedsworth v. Wedsworth (2005), 229 N.S.R.(2d) 168; 725 A.P.R. 168; 2005 NSSF 2, refd to. [para. 59].

Counsel:

Avocats:

Kimberly A. McCurdy, for the petitioner;

The respondent, per se.

This motion was heard on July 23, 24 and 27, 2012, before Walsh, J., of the New Brunswick Court of Queen's Bench, Family Division, Judicial District of Saint John, who released the following decision on August 9, 2012.