In Bartucci v Bartucci, 2023 ONSC 3336 (CanLII), the judge heard a number of concerns with the father’s parenting, including abusive behaviour, punishing the children for not wanting to see him, telling the children that he wished their mother was dead and ignoring one child’s Celiac Disease and placing the child at risk.
As a result of this history, the court considered the recommendations from the Office of the Children’s Lawyer that this father needed parenting education. The judge ordered the father to participate and complete the Caring Dad’s program, the Cooperative Parenting and Divorce Program and to be trained on diabetes.
Because of the many troubling incidents during parenting, the judge was not prepared to allow the children to be with the father unsupervised. The judge stated:
“The threats of violence, at a minimum, in this case are significant. In addition, at this point, the parenting skills of the Respondent are insufficient to permit him to have unsupervised parenting time. The willingness of the Respondent’s family to police his conduct and act as appropriate supervisors is also insufficient to permit them to supervise his children… In my view, the Respondent needs to have a complete reset in terms of how he deals with his children.”
The judge then gave the father 6 months to become a better parent and, if so, he could be granted the opportunity to spend time with his children in his home, supervised.
CASE LINK: https://www.canlii.org/en/on/onsc/doc/2023/2023onsc3336/2023onsc3336.html
Editorial Note: Originally published in 2023, this article examines a striking Ontario court ruling that mandated parenting education and supervision after serious concerns about a father’s behaviour. The case underscores how courts prioritize child safety and the rehabilitative measures they may impose to support reunification.
Steve Benmor, B.Sc., LL.B., LL.M. (Family Law), C.S., Cert.F.Med., C.Arb., FDRP PC, is the founder and principal lawyer of Benmor Family Law Group, a boutique matrimonial law firm in downtown Toronto. He is a Certified Specialist in Family Law, a Certified Specialist in Parenting Coordination and was admitted as a Fellow to the prestigious International Academy of Family Lawyers. Steve is regularly retained as a Divorce Mediator/Arbitrator and Parenting Coordinator. Steve uses his 30 years of in-depth knowledge of family law, court-room experience and expert problem-solving skills in Divorce Mediation/Arbitration to help spouses reach fair, fast and cooperative divorce settlements without the financial losses, emotional costs and lengthy delays from divorce court.
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