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Whose Best Interests? Custody And Access Law And Procedure, Noel Semple

Law Publications

Custody and access disputes arise when separated parents cannot agree about how to divide the ongoing rights and responsibilities of parenting. “Custody” usually means the right to make decisions on behalf of a child, and the right to have care and control of a child. “Access” refers to the right to be with or communicate with a child, and may also include the right to obtain information about a child. While most parents resolve custody and access disputes privately, a substantial number also pass through our courts. In 1998, proposals to amend the Divorce Act triggered a heated debate about …