Your child’s best interests come first in any dispute over custody, access, parenting, and guardianship. Period.

Our Vancouver child custody lawyers use mediation and out of court methods to resolve custody and access issues as quickly and cooperatively as possible.

Where amicable resolutions are not possible, we are skilled and expert litigators and ensure your children are not used as weapons in the court system.

Contact us now on 604 620 8682.

Our Vancouver Child Custody Lawyers Put Your Children’s Best Interests First

Nothing is more important to a parent than their child. Who the child will reside with and who will have the ability to make important life decisions relating to the child can turn into a very painful and emotionally heated dispute, even in amicable separations. The most important part of any divorce is always the decisions relating to the care and well-being of children.

Our Vancouver child custody lawyers are committed to placing your child’s best interest first and helping you achieve a parenting arrangement that suits your child’s life and needs. We understand that every family is different – we listen to your story and get to know you on a personal level to ensure a more positive result and settlement of custody issues, as quickly and cooperatively as possible.

The worst result in litigation is when children are used as weapons. Our Vancouver child custody lawyers are highly skilled and experienced in ensuring that your child custody case is resolved as quickly and cooperatively as possible. No one wants to waste years in the court system battling over issues of custody and access. Our experienced child custody lawyers have resolved countless child custody disputes and enabled co-parents reach successful outcomes in a timely fashion, both inside and outside the courtroom.

Key Issues To Consider

Alienation

When parents fight over children in high-conflict custody battles, the impacts on their children can be profound and long lasting. Unfortunately during separation, one parents animosity and anger towards the other can be passed down to their children, who often are innocent witnesses to a parent’s negative comments and hostile behaviors.

The severe effects of alienation are akin to child abuse. Every child has a need and a right to a close and loving relationship with both parents. Children are the true victims of parental alienation and this harmful behavior can lead to negative outcomes such as anger towards the targeted parent, lack of self esteem or confidence in the child, depression, eating disorders and drug and alcohol abuse.

If you suspect your child is being alienation, you need expert advice from an experienced family law lawyer. At Nasser Allan, we have years of experience identifying even subtle forms of alienation and the tools to shut this abuse down.

Examples Of Parental Alienation

Preventing contact between one parent and the other or undermining contact with the other parent

Undermining the role of the other parent in the child’s life

Limiting contact with the other parent to no more than a couple of hours a week

Intercepting phone calls, text messages and emails from the other parent

Discussing issues of divorce and separation with the child, ie. comments regarding child support

Making disparaging comments about the other parent in the presence of the children

Creating fear around the other parent, ie. telling the child the parent is crazy or dangerous or unworthy of being a parent

Criticizing or belittling the other parent to the child

Acting hurt, betrayed, abandoned when the child wishes to see the other parent

Any behavior that causes the child to reject the other parent

Section 211 Reports

In deciding what parenting arrangement is in a child’s best interest, a court may order what is referred to as a “Section 211 Report”, or a Custody and Access Report written by a third party professional such as a psychologist, counselor or social worker. The purpose of these reports is to cut through the otherwise acrimonious allegations of a lengthy he-said, she-said battle, and instead provide the court with information prepared by an independent professional trained to assess your child’s well-being and what parent is best suited to meet your child’s needs.

What Is Involved In A Section 211 Report?

Section 211 reports are designed to get to the heart of parenting issues and can be a useful tool when dealing with alienating or narcissistic parenting behaviors. Section 211 Reports involve an evaluation of both parents in terms of their ability and willingness to meet the needs of their children. This process includes not only a psychological evaluation but also an observation of the parents interaction, including disciplinary styles, with their child. The author of the report will often also interview collateral witnesses together with reviewing all affidavits, court pleadings or evidence otherwise presented to the court. While Section 211 Reports can be criticized as “invasive” for these reasons, the court has referred to them as their “eyes and ears ” as often a trained professional who has observed behaviors first hand is in a better position to make determinations as to what is in your child’s best interest than a judge siting behind a bench.

How Much Do Section 211 Reports Cost?

Section 211 Reports are comprehensive reports prepared by mental health professionals and due to their expertise, can cost upwards of $10,000. These reports are time consuming and thorough and can be in excess of 50 pages, which contributes to their cost.

In some cases, a court will order a Section 211 court to be prepared by a family justice counselor, if either or both parties are of low income and unable to privately fund a Section 211 Report. The disadvantage of a court ordered report is they are very slow and often take 1 or 2 years to complete.

Changing Custody Orders

Parenting arrangements that seemed reasonable at the time may become outdated and unreasonable as a child ages or grows accustomed to living between two homes. You can apply to change or ‘vary’ a previous court order if you are able to demonstrate what is referred to as a material change in circumstances. This means you will need to provide the court with evidence that something in your situation (or in your ex’s situation) has changed that warrants revisiting the original custody order.

Examples: Material Change Of Circumstances In Child Custody

There are many examples of what may amount to a material change in circumstances warranting revisiting a existing child custody order.

A few examples include:

Relocation, such as one parent wishes to move out of province either with or without the child;

Substance abuse, family violence or likewise concerns that one parent has become unable or unfit to care and meet the child’s needs;

Age, development and views of your child – what may have be appropriate when you child was 5 may not be suitable at age 10;

Your child may express an opinion about what parenting arrangement he or she would prefer.