Divorce & Separation

Child Custody & Access Lawyers | MacDonald & Partners LLP

Child Custody & Access Lawyers

Decisions about how your children will be raised are among the most important matters you will have to resolve in your separation. Our role is to help you understand your rights and options, decide which options are feasible and advisable, and help you make them work.


The legal principle that is considered by the courts — and our clients — is always the best interest of the children. Our job is to help you ensure that the best interests of your children are respected, whether you use the courts or alternative methods to decide these matters.

Custody and Access in Toronto and North York

 

The main custody issues at stake usually have to do with access schedules and decision-making authority. Parents generally want to have the right to decide issues of education, health, religion and general welfare for their children. Many parents also want to be able to live with their children, or at least have regular contact with them. 


Our Toronto child custody lawyers will help you choose among various kinds of custody arrangements, including:


  • Sole custody: One parent makes most major decisions and lives with the children.
  • Joint custody: Parents share the ability to make major decisions, and the child lives with one parent most of the time.
  • Shared custody: Similar to joint custody, living arrangements are more evenly split between the parents.
  • Split custody: Primary responsibility for two or more children is split so that each parent has custody of at least one child.

We will work with you to decide what arrangement is best for your children, or come up with creative solutions that may be unique to your family. We will take into account many considerations, including issues of spousal and child support, the needs of your children, their own preferences, the abilities of each parent, and the parents' ability to cooperate.


We can also consider any issues of mental health and substance abuse and child mobility, especially for interprovincial or international moves, and help you access expert child psychologists, parenting coordinators, or other professionals to help in these decisions.


As your family situation changes, our lawyers can also help you modify your agreement as needed.

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