Legal support for court-ordered reunification therapy to rebuild and strengthen parent‑child relationships.
Senior Family Lawyer
Deepa Tailor is the founder and Managing Director of Tailor Law, a trusted Ontario family and divorce law firm. Since 2014, she has helped clients navigate separation, custody, support, and property division with clarity and compassion.
Courts may order reunification therapy in various situations:
When one parent has influenced the child to reject the other parent without legitimate reason.
Judge orders reunification therapy with specific terms, expectations, and timelines for compliance.
A qualified reunification therapist is selected, by agreement of the parents or as directed by the court.
Therapist meets separately with each parent and the child to assess the situation and build rapport.
Gradual introduction of joint parent-child sessions in a controlled therapeutic environment.
Structured visits outside therapy begin, often supervised initially, then gradually increasing.
As progress is made, unsupervised visits are introduced and parenting time gradually normalizes.
Comprehensive legal support throughout the reunification process.
Seeking court orders for reunification therapy with clear terms, timelines, and consequences for non-compliance.
Helping identify and retain qualified reunification therapists with experience in high-conflict family dynamics.
Ensuring all parties follow court orders and therapy protocols, documenting any violations for court review.
Filing contempt motions when the other parent sabotages or refuses to participate in the reunification process.
Seeking changes to custody arrangements when reunification progress warrants expanded parenting time.
Coordinating with therapists, parenting coordinators, and other professionals involved in your case.
The length varies depending on the severity of alienation, the child’s age, and cooperation from both parents. Some cases may take years.
A court order binds the parents, not the child directly. The child’s views and preferences are given due weight according to the child’s age and maturity (Children’s Law Reform Act, s. 24(3)(e)), and a child who is capable with respect to treatment must generally consent to it (Health Care Consent Act, 1996, s. 10(1)). The child’s resistance is addressed therapeutically. Forcing participation without therapeutic support rarely works.
Document the interference and bring it to court’s attention. We can seek contempt findings and, in severe cases, a change to the parenting order, which requires a material change in circumstances and is decided on the child’s best interests (Children’s Law Reform Act, s. 29(1)).
Costs vary with the therapist and the length of the process. The parents’ agreement or the court order usually sets out how the cost is shared.
The therapist may recommend suspension or alternative approaches. In severe alienation cases, courts may need to consider changing custody to the rejected parent.
Get legal support for reunification therapy from experienced Ontario family lawyers.