Courts of Justice Act

ONTARIOREGULATION 114/99

Amended to O. Reg. 89/04

FAMILY LAW RULES

RULE 21:  REPORT OF CHILDREN’S LAWYER

REPORT OF CHILDREN’S LAWYER

21.  When the Children’s Lawyer investigates and reports on custody of or access to a child under section 112 of the Courts of Justice Act,

(a)   the Children’s Lawyer shall first serve notice on the parties and file it;

(b)   the parties shall, from the time they are served with the notice, serve the Children’s Lawyer with every document in the case that involves the child’s custody, access, support, health or education, as if the Children’s Lawyer were a party in the case;

(c)   the Children’s Lawyer has the same rights as a party to document disclosure (rule 19) and questioning witnesses (rule 20) about any matter involving the child’s custody, access, support, health or education;

(d)   within 90 days after serving the notice under clause (a), the Children’s Lawyer shall serve a report on the parties and file it;

(e)   within 30 days after being served with the report, a party may serve and file a statement disputing anything in it; and

(f)   the trial shall not be held and the court shall not make a final order in the case until the 30 days referred to in clause (e) expire or the parties file a statement giving up their right to that time.  O. Reg. 114/99, r. 21.