Glossary - Abuse and Family Violence
In Abuse and Family Violence, Criminal Law, Family Law, Immigration Law
A sentence is a punishment given to someone found guilty of an offence. A sentence for an adult can include jail time, but it doesn’t have to. A sentence can also include a fine or a period of probation. Sentences for youth are different.
In Abuse and Family Violence, Child abuse and neglect, Family Law
A child is in society care when they are in the care and custody of the Children’s Aid Society for a certain amount of time. A child can’t be in society care for more than 12 months. If CAS has to care for them longer than 12 months, they have to be in extended society care.
In Abuse and Family Violence, Family Law
Sole custody is a type of custody where only one parent has the right to make important decisions about how to care for and raise a child. It includes the right to make decisions about the child’s health, education, and religion.
The parent with sole custody may have to discuss the issue with the other parent before making an important decision. But the parent with sole custody can make the decision even if the other parent disagrees.
Other people, for example, grandparents, can also apply to the court for custody.
In Abuse and Family Violence, Family Law, Housing Law, Tribunals and Courts
A summons is a legal document that requires a witness to come to a trial or a hearing on a specific date to tell their part of the story.
In Abuse and Family Violence, Family Law
The new term for supervised access is supervised parenting time for most family law cases. If you have a child protection case, the term supervised access may still be used.
Supervised parenting time is a kind of parenting time when someone else watches a parent’s visits with their child. This might be another relative like the child’s grandparent or uncle, or it might be someone from an agency like the Children’s Aid Society. The purpose of supervised parenting time is usually to make sure the child is safe.
In Abuse and Family Violence, Family Law
A supervised access exchange is when someone watches a parent pick up or drop off the child, but does not watch the access visit. Its purpose is usually to reduce conflict between the parents, or to protect one parent from being abused by the other parent.
In Abuse and Family Violence, Child abuse and neglect, Family Law
A supervision order is when the court decides that your child can live with you, another parent, or a caregiver, but that the Children’s Aid Society has to regularly check that your child is being cared for.
A supervision order can last between 3 and 12 months. And it can include a number of conditions, such as you:
- get tested for drugs regularly
- go for counselling
- go to parenting classes
