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OTHER INFORMATION REGARDING THE INITIAL CASE
https://www.mynorthbaynow.com/25904/grandparents-sued-mother-will-cut-off-access-granddaughter-dont-pay-child-support/
FOLLOW CONRAD HUNTER ON SOCIAL MEDIA TO KEEP UP TO DATE INFORMATION
Hello fellow grandparents - Canadians from coast-to-coast. A lot of you might remember Conrad and Denise from various news articles, radio talk shows, Facebook shares, or from CBC news network both radio and TV, as North Bay grandparents sued for child support
None of the news articles or voice audio (including the televised CBC version) mention anything about the Ontario Children’s Lawyers Office and the role they played. Which seems to have been edited out of the broadcast interview leaving Canadians unaware and uninformed of just how Conrad and Denise got in this position.
Hello, my name is Jennifer ross, and I’m starting this go fund on behalf of Conrad Hunter and their grandchild. So that he can do his part in exempting grandparents from any child support obligations and liabilities regarding your grandchildren. I’ve interviewed Conrad a few times over the past several months, and he’s incredibly committed about protecting the grandparent-grandchild relationship. And needs help. Let’s come together and help expose the incredible abuse the system has put these grandparents through. Help support this upcoming legal case on behalf of grandparents across the country.
Conrad believes it’s time to confront Queens Park regarding grandparents and child support. It’s time our legislatures exempt grandparents from any child support obligations and liabilities, under the family law act and under bill 34. There’s no clear legislation holding grandparents accountable for child support, but no legislation protecting them either. Grandparents deserve good common sense legislation exempting grandparents from child support obligations. Canadians from coast-to-coast stand with our Grandparents, and it's time Ottawa and Queens Park do the same. So far, the Department of Justice Family law reforms updated on March 1, 2021, does nothing to protect grandparents from child support motions.
As of now the lower courts in Ontario are allowing lawyers to file motions against grandparents who are standing in place of a parent. And this is what Conrad’s fighting to stop.
The Ontario court suggests each case is fact-specific, and that grandparent child support is one of those gray areas. This is the reason why Conrad is fighting for grandparents’ exemption from any child support obligations and liabilities. Because without any specific dues and don’ts when it comes to grandparenting. Spiteful offspring, whether it’s from the paternal Side or the maternal side, it’s easy to get set up by being asked to perform certain duties as a grandparent. Then you find yourself arguing against child support because in the eyes of some lawyers. Those are duties only parents would do.
We live in a multicultural modern-day society where grandparents in many cases are living with their offspring helping with the children. Taking them to and from school, packing lunches, helping with homework, doing laundry, buying them gifts, vacations. Including right from wrong, discipline, and sometimes covering the cost to join little league sport and more. But some lawyers will argue these are only duties a parent would do. Helping your grandchildren shouldn’t be something risky.
Conrad and Denise went to court to clarify a question regarding stat holiday Mondays, and by asking this question, they found themselves defending child support. For something that should have been in the original order in the first place. This question was cleared up on day one to which Conrad and Denise withdrew any further action which was acknowledged by the judge. But the variance was never made to include the Monday stat holiday in their original order. Then some 59 days later the mother’s lawyer filed a motion for child support. In lieu of this Monday stat question to the court.
Once these grandparents were ordered and forced to hand over their financial records, notice of assessments, assets, and banking information to the mother and her lawyer by this court. This is when the mother's lawyer began to use those financial records as strategic leverage to force them off the original court order. Considering it was the Ministry of attorney general’s Office of the children’s lawyer that recommended to the court that these grandparents should maintain consistent access in the best interest of the child.
In Ontario, the family court system makes regular requests to the Ontario children’s lawyer's office, which is a division of the Ministry of Attorney General. For their input and recommendations in the best interest of the child including access/custody. Roughly eight months later the Ontario Children’s Lawyer’s office responded with a clinical investigation report as requested by the court recommending Conrad and Denise have liberal access including joint custody. Therefore, Conrad and Denise were being attacked for financial monthly child support for simply following a court order.
Regardless of the Ontario Children’s Lawyer's office investigative report, this court still allowed the mother's lawyer's motion to move forward under section 21 of the family law act for child support under the guidelines. As grandparents standing in place of a parent. The mother’s lawyer was allowed to drag this ridiculous case all the way to trial. At no point did this court give the grandparents some or any protection considering how they got in this position in the first place. After all, it was this court that requested the involvement of the Ontario Children’s Lawyers office which consented to provide services under pursuant to section 112 of the Court of Justice act which this matter was assigned a clinical investigator. Justice Greg Rogers made the OCL request.
As the mother’s lawyer’s case was falling apart at trial, and these grandparents standing strong to defend and maintain the status quo of original court order. The judge said verbatim late in the day during the trial, so if Conrad and Denise feel they don’t owe child support, then why are they hanging onto the joint custody. Basically, insinuating and sending a message of imitation from the bench that if they don’t give up and walk away from the joint custody then they are going to be liable for child support. This needs to be investigated by the Ontario judicial council and funding support will help secure those court transcripts. That statement makes this all that much more confusing to the grandparents that were enjoying joint custody for almost 5 years in the best interest of the child, keeping in mind it was the OCL and the court that gave these grandparents that special privilege of joint custody. But then years later it holds obligations and liabilities without any transparency or legislation.
The mother’s lawyer then failed to Secure $760 per month in child support - $48,000 in retro Child support. What makes this even more disgusting is that it cost these grandparents thousands of dollars to defend the mother’s lawyer’s motion for child support. That came with OCL recommendations, and court endorsed. And yet the grandparents didn’t even win their court costs.
CHILD IN CRISIS
I’m asking for your support on behalf of these grandparents. So, they can hold all those accountable for destroying this little girl’s way of life. causing unnecessary separation anxiety, and depression, under this new 2018 court order. Their granddaughter became increasingly isolated and traumatized, due to a lack of regular consistent access to her paternal side of the family. Her regular routine and lifestyle changed drastically from almost 5 years of consistency under the original court order. Why didn’t this court reach out to the OCL for an updated revised report about this grandparent/grandchild relationship before drastically changing this child’s access and lifestyle? In fact, in an earlier court case, the judge said that an OCL was not required because access was not an issue. This statement by the judge will be in the court transcripts, which will be made public. But this court made the unilateral decision to eliminate her regular sensitive access at trial. caselaw does not favour that decision without the OCL’s recommendations.
The only thing this child should’ve had to worry about was toys, sports, homework, walking her dog or making her bed.
Throughout that 17-month court process, she lost 90% of her access to her paternal side of the family overnight.
Funding will help get her the counselling and support she needs. But equally as important is to get a child psychologist involved so that they can put together a report for the Ontario children’s lawyer’s office And the Ontario judicial Council, legislatures, and Ministry of the attorney general, on how the system got this so wrong. And how the most recent order has affected this child in the biggest way. This report from the child psychologist will put together everything she has suffered at home and from a failed system.
ATTORNEY GENERAL | ONTARIO CHILDREN’S LAWYER’S OFFICE | ONTARIO JUDICIAL COUNCIL
Will the Ministry of Attorney Generals, Office of the children’s lawyer investigate and demand some answers why this little girl's access was restricted without proper consultation from the Ontario Children’s Lawyer’s office. Leaving this child's access/custody reduced to crumbs leaving a young girl without regular consistent access to her parental side of the family compared to the earlier court order. Does the court and the OCL not have a common-sense agreement about the OCLs involvement and recommendations to the court and the best interest of the child.
UNPRECEDENTED
So why is it that this unprecedented case never made it into case law? Probably because this case went completely upside down from the start. I think Canadians are not going to be surprised why. Please bear with me until we see what kind of support our goals achieved. Before going public with more disturbing facts and evidence of abuse of power by the system and conflict of interest. The Little girl in the story, has prepared an incredibly powerful impact story/statement of how the family court machine has affected her. Which I’m sure will be posted in the coming weeks.
MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT
Michael Mantha member of the provincial parliament thinks this is an opportunity for discussion that is long overdue, and he can be heard speaking with Eric White on CBC news morning north.
SOCIAL MEDIA
To all readers and supporters please share and forward this campaign across your networks to make sure this cause and movement Gaines the traction that this grandparent-grandchild relationship deserves.
Conrad needs your support to legally file for full custody, and adoption, including a change of venue.
Funding will help get their granddaughter the independent tutoring she desperately needs to get her education back on track and back in school.
Funds to go towards legal fees, obtaining court transcripts to be posted on a dedicated site. travel, marketing fees, and other fees associated with gaining this case awareness and ultimately their case heard by the Supreme Court of Canada.
Funds raised will also contribute to counselling including a child psychologist for their grandchild who has been drastically affected by the family court system. As of now, the grandparents are out of pocket for counselling for the mess the court has caused.
Funding will help their legal challenges to hold all those accountable who put these grandparents through Financial and mental duress. for something that should have never happened if only this court read and understood the OCL clinical investigation report. And understanding the value that grandparents play in their grandchildren's lives’.
Organizer and beneficiary
Jennifer Ross
Organizer
Orillia, ON
Conrad Hunter
Beneficiary