How does a society's decision to close a file affect an ongoing parenting time case?

Closing a file generally means the society didn't substantiate a protection concern, or that whatever concern existed has been addressed, and it isn't opening a court application. On its own, a closed file doesn't automatically change an ongoing parenting time case - it doesn't erase the fact that a report was made, but it also isn't a finding against either parent.

In practice, a closed file with no findings can help the parent who was under investigation, since it undercuts an argument that ongoing safety concerns should limit their time with the child - though the other parent may still argue the concern was real even if unsubstantiated, particularly if other evidence supports it. Conversely, if the file closed because a parent completed services or addressed a genuine concern, that can be relevant too, showing the issue was real but resolved. Either parent can bring the closure to the family court's attention as part of the evidence about the child's current situation; neither side should assume it automatically settles the parenting question on its own, since the family court makes its own assessment based on all the evidence before it.