What can I do if my ex is denying me my court-ordered parenting time?

A parenting order made by an Ontario court is legally binding. If your co-parent is consistently refusing to let you see your child as ordered, you have several options.

First, document every missed exchange — dates, times, any texts or messages — to build a clear record. Then consider filing a motion to enforce the order in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice (Family Court). The court can make up to compensatory parenting time to make up for time you missed and can impose conditions to prevent future interference.

In serious or repeated cases, the other parent can be held in contempt of court, which carries consequences including fines or, in extreme situations, imprisonment. Courts are reluctant to use jail in parenting disputes, but they will act firmly when one parent is deliberately undermining the other's relationship with the child.

Ontario also has the Children's Law Reform Act provisions for enforcement. If you believe a parent is about to take the child out of province in violation of an order, you can apply on an urgent basis.