Can a family court judge order a children's aid society to release its file in a parenting dispute?

A family court judge can order a children's aid society to produce relevant parts of its file in a parenting dispute, but it isn't automatic - a party generally has to bring a formal request or motion, explain why the material is relevant to the parenting issues before the court, and the society or the other parent can object on confidentiality or other grounds before the judge decides. Courts balance the value of the information to deciding the parenting case against the society's interest in protecting sensitive information and its ongoing work with the family.

Because of this, a bare request rarely succeeds without some explanation of what's being sought and why it matters - for example, records relevant to a specific safety allegation already raised in the case, rather than a request for the entire file "just in case." A judge may also order that only portions of a file be disclosed, or that disclosure go to counsel rather than the parties directly, to balance these interests. If CAS records could matter to your case, talk to a lawyer about framing a targeted production request rather than assuming the file will be handed over on request.