A Canadian Custody Agreement is a legally binding written agreement between two parents that establishes comprehensive arrangements for the care, upbringing, and financial support of their children following separation or divorce. In Canada, the legal framework for custody matters is governed by both federal and provincial legislation, creating a unique dual-jurisdiction system that distinguishes Canadian family law from other common law countries.

The federal Divorce Act (R.S.C. 1985, c. 3 (2nd Supp.)) is the primary legislation governing custody for married parents who are divorcing. Significant amendments enacted through S.C. 2019, c. 16, which came into force on March 1, 2021, fundamentally changed the terminology and approach to custody in Canada. The term "custody" has been replaced with "decision-making responsibility," and "access" has been replaced with "parenting time." These changes reflect a child-centred approach that focuses on the responsibilities of parents rather than their rights over children.

For unmarried parents, including common-law partners and parents who were never in a relationship, provincial legislation applies. In Ontario, the Children's Law Reform Act (R.S.O. 1990, c. C.12) governs custody and access. In British Columbia, the Family Law Act (S.B.C. 2011, c. 25, Part 4) provides the framework for guardianship and parenting arrangements. In Alberta, the Family Law Act (S.A. 2003, c. F-4.5) addresses custody matters. Each province has its own statute, though the principles of best interests of the child are consistent across all Canadian jurisdictions.

The overarching legal principle in all Canadian custody arrangements is the best interests of the child, as codified in Divorce Act s. 16(1). The 2021 amendments expanded the best-interests factors in s. 16(3) to include the child's views and preferences given the child's age and maturity, each parent's willingness to support the child's relationship with the other parent, any history of family violence (defined broadly in s. 2(1) to include physical, sexual, emotional, psychological, and financial abuse), the impact of civil or criminal proceedings, and the child's cultural, linguistic, religious, and spiritual heritage. A custody agreement that does not serve the best interests of the child can be varied by a court at any time, regardless of what the parents have agreed upon.

A Canadian Custody Agreement is needed whenever parents are separating or have separated and need to establish formal arrangements for their children. This applies to married parents proceeding through divorce under the Divorce Act, common-law partners who are separating under provincial family law, and parents who were never in a formal relationship but share biological or adopted children.

Parents should create this agreement when they want to avoid the significant expense, procedural delays, and emotional toll of contested court proceedings. In Canada, the average cost of a contested custody trial can range from $15,000 to over $100,000, with proceedings lasting 12 to 36 months or longer. A well-drafted custody agreement can be filed with the court and enforced as if it were a court order, providing legal certainty at a fraction of the cost. Many Canadian courts now require parents to attend mediation or participate in a mandatory information program before scheduling a contested hearing, making a private agreement the preferred first step in resolving custody disputes.

This agreement is essential when parents need to clearly define decision-making responsibility, determining who makes major decisions about the children's health, education, religion, language, and significant extracurricular activities under the framework established by Divorce Act s. 16.1. Parents also need this agreement to establish a detailed parenting time schedule covering regular weekday and weekend arrangements, holiday and statutory holiday allocation, school break schedules, and special occasions such as children's birthdays, Mother's Day, and Father's Day.

The agreement addresses child support calculations under the Federal Child Support Guidelines (SOR/97-175), which are mandatory for all Canadian parents regardless of marital status. This includes the base table amount based on the payor's gross annual income, as well as section 7 special or extraordinary expenses covering childcare, medical insurance premiums, uninsured health costs, post-secondary education contributions, and extraordinary extracurricular activities. The agreement must also include provisions for annual income disclosure and recalculation.

Parents require this agreement when addressing relocation, which is governed by Divorce Act s. 16.9 requiring at least 60 days' written notice. The agreement should establish communication protocols, right of first refusal for childcare, transportation arrangements for exchanges, and dispute resolution mechanisms to handle future disagreements without returning to court.

A valid Canadian Custody Agreement must contain several essential elements to be enforceable and to protect the interests of both the parents and the children. The agreement must begin with the identification of both parents, including full legal names, current residential addresses with postal codes, phone numbers, and email addresses. The children must be identified by full legal name, date of birth, and current age. The agreement must state the parents' relationship status (married, common-law, or other) and the date of separation, as these details determine which legislation applies.

Decision-making responsibility (formerly custody) must be clearly allocated in accordance with Divorce Act s. 16.1. The agreement should specify whether the parents share joint decision-making responsibility, whether one parent has sole responsibility, or whether responsibility is divided by subject area. The agreement should clarify that day-to-day decisions such as meals, bedtime, and homework are made by whichever parent has the child at the time. Major decisions covered include health and medical treatment, education, religious and spiritual upbringing, cultural and linguistic identity, and significant extracurricular activities.

The parenting time schedule must be detailed and specific enough that both parents know exactly where the children should be at any given time. This includes the regular weekly schedule with exact days and transition times, the holiday and statutory holiday schedule covering Christmas, March Break, summer vacation, Thanksgiving, Canada Day, Victoria Day, Labour Day, and Easter, as well as children's birthdays, Mother's Day, and Father's Day. The schedule should specify the exchange location, who is responsible for transportation, and what happens when a parent is late or needs to cancel.

Child support must be calculated under the Federal Child Support Guidelines (SOR/97-175). The agreement should state the payor's gross annual income, the monthly support amount from the applicable table, and the mechanism for annual income disclosure and recalculation. Section 7 special or extraordinary expenses should be listed with the sharing method, whether proportional to income or equal. The agreement should include provisions requiring each parent to provide their Notice of Assessment from the Canada Revenue Agency annually.

Relocation provisions must comply with Divorce Act s. 16.9, requiring at least 60 days' written notice including the proposed date, new address, and revised parenting plan. The right of first refusal should specify the minimum absence duration that triggers the offer. Communication protocols should define how parents communicate about the children and the children's right to contact the non-residential parent. The governing law clause should reference both the applicable provincial legislation and the federal Divorce Act, and each parent should acknowledge having had the opportunity to obtain independent legal advice before signing.