Decision-Making Responsibilities

Decision-making responsibility refers to who makes significant decisions about a child’s well-being. When parents are together, they typically both have the right to make these types of decisions. However, when parents are no longer or were never together, choices must be made about how these decisions will be made.

Parents can agree about how these decisions will be made, such as by making a parenting plan or agreement covering it. If the parents cannot agree, either one may decide to apply for a court order. In deciding, the court will only consider the best interests of the child.

Parents can agree or the court can order that:

• each of them is responsible for making certain decisions
• decision-making responsibility is shared between parents
• one parent may also have the sole decision-making responsibility

When decision-making is shared, an agreement or court order can set out what happens if the parents cannot agree. When one parent has sole authority, an agreement or court order can require that they consult the other parent.

Significant decisions include, but are not limited to, decisions concerning the child’s:

• health
• education
• culture
• language
• religion
• spirituality
• significant extra-curricular activities

As opposed to significant decisions, day-to-day decisions relate to daily life. They are made by the person who has parenting time with the child unless the court orders otherwise. Other than this, parenting time does not give the parent any authority as a decision-maker.