Child Custody & Parenting
When a relationship ends, few matters are more important than protecting your children's well-being and maintaining meaningful family relationships. Navigating parenting arrangements, decision-making responsibilities, and parenting time can be emotionally challenging, especially when parents disagree about what is best for their children.
At Ivy Law, we provide compassionate, strategic legal representation for parents navigating child custody and parenting matters across Alberta and British Columbia. Our family lawyers help clients establish fair, practical parenting arrangements that prioritize children's best interests while protecting parental rights and responsibilities.
Our team assists families throughout Calgary, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Red Deer, Vancouver, Surrey, and Abbotsford, offering personalized legal guidance during separation, divorce, and other family transitions.
Get the legal guidance you need. Contact IVY Law for a free, confidential consultation to discuss your case, understand your options, and take the first step toward protecting your rights.
Key Takeaways
- The best interests of the child are the primary consideration in parenting decisions.
- Parenting arrangements address where children live, when they spend time with each parent, and who makes important decisions about their upbringing.
- Canadian family law generally uses terms such as parenting time and decision-making responsibility rather than traditional custody terminology in divorce proceedings.
- Parents can often establish parenting agreements through negotiation or mediation without contested court proceedings.
- Existing parenting arrangements may be changed when circumstances justify a modification and the applicable legal requirements are met.
Child Custody & Parenting Legal Representation
Parenting disputes can be among the most sensitive and challenging aspects of family law. Decisions about children’s living arrangements, education, healthcare, and relationships with their parents can have lasting effects on the entire family.
At Ivy Law, we understand that every family’s circumstances are unique. Our lawyers take the time to understand your concerns, explain your legal options, and develop practical strategies focused on your children’s stability, safety, and long-term well-being.
Whether you’re negotiating an initial parenting agreement, addressing a disagreement with your former partner, or seeking to modify an existing court order, our team provides dedicated advocacy and clear legal guidance throughout the process.
Understanding Parenting Time & Decision-Making Responsibility
Under Canada’s Divorce Act, parenting arrangements are determined according to the best interests of the child. Provincial family legislation also governs parenting matters in circumstances where the Divorce Act does not apply.
Parenting arrangements may address:
- Parenting Time: The periods during which a child is in a parent’s care.
- Decision-Making Responsibility: Authority to make significant decisions concerning education, healthcare, religion, and other important aspects of a child’s upbringing.
- Parenting Schedules: Regular schedules for weekdays, weekends, holidays, school breaks, and special occasions.
- Communication: How parents exchange information and communicate about their children’s needs.
- Relocation: Legal considerations when a parent wishes to move with a child.
- Dispute Resolution: Procedures for addressing future disagreements about parenting matters.
Courts consider numerous factors when assessing children’s best interests, including their needs, relationships, stability, and safety. There is no automatic presumption that equal parenting time is appropriate in every case.
How We Help
- Negotiate and draft parenting agreements and parenting plans
- Establish parenting time and decision-making arrangements
- Represent parents in contested parenting disputes
- Assist with urgent parenting applications and interim court orders
- Address relocation and mobility disputes
- Help resolve disagreements involving education, healthcare, and other major decisions
- Seek modifications to existing parenting orders when appropriate
- Assist with enforcement issues and compliance with parenting arrangements
- Provide legal guidance in matters involving family violence or child safety concerns
he Parenting Arrangement Process
- Initial Consultation: Discuss your family’s circumstances, parenting concerns, and legal options.
- Understanding Your Children’s Needs: Review existing care arrangements, routines, relationships, and any relevant safety considerations.
- Developing a Parenting Plan: Identify appropriate parenting schedules, decision-making responsibilities, and communication arrangements.
- Negotiation and Mediation: Explore opportunities to reach practical agreements while minimizing unnecessary conflict.
- Court Proceedings: Seek appropriate court orders when an agreement cannot be reached or urgent intervention is required.
- Implementation and Future Adjustments: Put parenting arrangements into practice and address changes as children’s needs and family circumstances evolve.
Common Child Custody & Parenting Matters
- Parenting time and residential arrangements
- Shared or sole decision-making responsibility
- Parenting plans and separation agreements
- Holiday, vacation, and special occasion schedules
- Relocation and mobility disputes
- Parenting arrangements for unmarried parents
- High-conflict parenting disputes
- Family violence and child safety concerns
- Modifications to existing parenting orders
- Enforcement of parenting agreements and court orders
Frequently Asked Questions
Get quick answers to questions clients frequently ask before working with our firm.
Courts determine parenting arrangements based on the best interests of the child. Relevant considerations include the child's needs, relationships with family members, history of care, stability, preferences where appropriate, and any family violence or safety concerns. The importance of each factor depends on the circumstances.
No. Canadian law does not automatically favour either parent based on gender or marital status. Parenting arrangements are determined according to the child's best interests, and equal parenting time is not guaranteed or required in every situation.
Yes. Many parents successfully establish parenting arrangements through negotiation, mediation, or collaborative processes. A written parenting plan can help clarify responsibilities and reduce future disagreements. Legal advice can help ensure the agreement is appropriate and consistent with applicable laws.
Yes. Parenting orders may be modified when the applicable legal requirements are satisfied. Under the Divorce Act, a variation generally requires a change in the child's circumstances since the previous order. Courts then assess the proposed arrangement according to the child's best interests.
Relocation can involve specific notice requirements and legal considerations, particularly when the move would significantly affect existing parenting arrangements. The applicable rules depend on the governing legislation and circumstances. Parents should obtain legal advice before relocating or opposing a proposed move.
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The Right Next Step Starts with a Conversation
You don't need to have every answer before speaking with a lawyer. Sometimes, you simply need someone to listen, explain your options, and help you understand what comes next.
At Ivy Law, we're here to help you navigate life's legal challenges with personalized guidance and a clear path forward.