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Can My In-Laws Take Me To Court to Force Me to Let Them See My KIds?

Grandparents and other extended family can cause a lot of strife, which is usually very bad for the kids. I have done a number of these cases and it is almost always the case that the personality traits that cause the grandparents to go to court over access are the personality traits that caused the custodial parent to worry that contact with the kids was not good in the first place. 

With regard to the question of going to court, the Grandparents do have the right to do that. The Children’s Law Reform Act allows any person to apply for custody or access to any child – not just parents. You can also expect to hear from judges that it is very important for children to have a relationship with their extended families as it is fundamental to the children developing their identities. However, not all contact is “good’ or “helpful” and the court will look at whether the access is in the child’s best interest.

However, in the end, when it comes down to it, the law gives a lot of weight to what the custodial parent wants. As long as the custodial parent is trying to act in the child’s best interest, it is up to the custodial parent as to how the children are parenting and who the children see. The exception to this is when the children are on your ex’s time. Then it is up to your ex to decide who the children see when they are with her. If you feel your ex is harming the children, then you should speak to her about the issue, try to involve a parenting professional (social worker or child psychologist) to assist with the issue and if your wife is not cooperative and you feel you need to deny access, then you should go to court to get the court’s blessing – otherwise you may be in contempt of court.

John Schuman Guide to the Basics of Ontario Family Law book cover

You can get a lot more information about Ontario Family Law issues, including a comprehensive explanation of parenting cases (parenting time and decision making), child support, spousal support, property division, and most other common family law issues by downloading this $9.99 Kindle eBook, Kobo eBook, or iBook for your iPad or iPhone or ordering it from Amazon as a paperback. But to understand how the law works precisely in your situation, it is always best to speak to a good Family Law Lawyer.

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