W.L. v. N.D.H., (2014) 425 N.B.R.(2d) 305 (FD)

• Jurisdiction: New Brunswick
• Judge: Walsh, J.
• Neutral Citation: 2014 NBQB 214
• Citation: (2014), 425 N.B.R.(2d) 305 (FD),2014 NBQB 214,425 NBR(2d) 305,(2014), 425 NBR(2d) 305 (FD),425 N.B.R.(2d) 305
• Date: 29 August 2014
• Court: Court of Queen's Bench of New Brunswick (Canada)

W.L. v. N.D.H. (2014), 425 N.B.R.(2d) 305 (FD);

    425 R.N.-B.(2e) 305; 1107 A.P.R. 305

MLB headnote and full text

Sommaire et texte intégral

[French language version follows English language version]

[La version française vient à la suite de la version anglaise]

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Temp. Cite: [2014] N.B.R.(2d) TBEd. OC.014

Renvoi temp.: [2014] N.B.R.(2d) TBEd. OC.014

W.L. (applicant) v. N.D.H. (respondent)

(FDN-53-2014; 2014 NBQB 214; 2014 NBBR 214)

Indexed As: W.L. v. N.D.H.

Répertorié: W.L. v. N.D.H.

New Brunswick Court of Queen's Bench

Family Division

Judicial District of Miramichi

Walsh, J.

August 29, 2014.

Summary:

Résumé:

At issue was custody and access of the parties' 10 year old child and the incidental issue of child support.

The New Brunswick Court of Queen's Bench, Family Division, determined the issues.

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 1881

Custody and access - Considerations in awarding custody - Welfare or best interests of child paramount - The parties had a 10 year old child - They had been separated for approximately six or seven years without any court order with respect to the child - They lived in distant parts of the province - The mother had day to day care and control and the father had regular access - At issue in this application was custody and access to the child - Both parents wanted day to day care and control - The New Brunswick Court of Queen's Bench, Family Division, granted the parents joint custody with day to day care to the mother and access to the father - It was more probable that the best interests of the child in the short term and over the long term rested in the mother remaining the primary care giver and that the place of residence of the child remain with the mother with structured access to the father - It would not disrupt the child's sense of continuity and also respected, as much as possible, her wishes - See paragraphs 4 to 27.

Family Law - Topic 1897

Custody and access - Considerations in awarding custody - Status quo - [See Family Law - Topic 1881].

Family Law - Topic 4045.6

Divorce - Corollary relief - Maintenance - Child support guidelines (incl. nondivorce cases) - Exceptions and exemptions - At issue was the appropriate child support of the parties' 10 year old child - The mother's income was $24,100 - The father claimed that his income was $59,664 and that his monthly budget revealed a monthly deficit of $1,486.25 - He claimed financial hardship under s. 10 of the Guidelines prevented him from paying the Guideline support of $514 - The New Brunswick Court of Queen's Bench, Family Division, denied the father's claim of financial hardship - The father's claimed income didn't take into account his new spouse's income - The court found that the father's total household income was approximately $72,863.50 - The calculations revealed that using the father's total household income and the mother's income, the father 's household would still have a higher standard of living even after paying the required child support - See paragraphs 30 to 35.

Droit de la famille - Cote 1881

Garde et accès - Facteurs considérés lors de l'attribution de la garde - Primauté du bien-être ou du meilleur intérêt de l'enfant - [Voir Family Law - Topic 1881].

Droit de la famille - Cote 1897

Garde et accès - Facteurs considérés lors de l'attribution de la garde - Statu quo - [Voir Family Law - Topic 1897].

Droit de la famille - Cote 4045.6

Divorce - Mesures accessoires - Ordonnances alimentaires - Lignes directrices sur les pensions alimentaires (y compris les cas hors-divorce) - Exceptions et exemptions (notamment difficultés excessives) - [Voir Family Law - Topic 4045.6].

Cases Noticed:

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. 5].

A.M.K.H. v. K.A.M. (2003), 259 N.B.R.(2d) 291; 681 A.P.R. 291; 2003 NBCA 33, refd to. [para. 21].

K.K. v. A.K. (2012), 394 N.B.R.(2d) 199; 1020 A.P.R. 199; 2012 NBQB 276 (Fam. Div.), refd to. [para. 25].

B.P. v. A.T. (2014), 423 N.B.R.(2d) 99; 1103 A.P.R. 99; 2014 NBCA 51, refd to. [para. 28].

Locke v. Goulding (2012), 318 Nfld. & P.E.I.R. 91; 989 A.P.R. 91; 2012 NLCA 8, refd to. [para. 30].

D.L. v. M.L. (2012), 396 N.B.R.(2d) 353; 1024 A.P.R. 353; 2012 NBQB 382 (Fam. Div.), refd to. [para. 31].

D.B.S. v. S.R.G., [2006] 2 S.C.R. 231; 351 N.R. 201; 391 A.R. 297; 377 W.A.C. 297; 2006 SCC 37, refd to. [para. 37].

Brown v. Brown (2010), 353 N.B.R.(2d) 323; 910 A.P.R. 323; 2010 NBCA 5, refd to. [para. 37].

A.N.H. v. M.K.C. (2010), 359 N.B.R.(2d) 1; 929 A.P.R. 1; 2010 NBQB 120 (Fam. Div.), refd to. [para. 45].

Authors and Works Noticed:

Payne & Payne, Child Support Guidelines in Canada (2012), pp. 17, 18 [para. 30].

Payne, Julien, Child Support Guidelines in Canada - Some Landmark Cases (2014), The Advocates Quarterly 309, p. 369 [para. 41].

Counsel:

Avocats:

Michelle Boudreau-Dumas, for the applicant;

The respondent, on his own behalf.

This application was heard on August 25 and 26, 2014, and decided on August 29, 2014, by Walsh, J., of the New Brunswick Court of Queen's Bench, Family Division, Judicial District of Miramichi, who delivered the following written decision on September 16, 2014.