Law360 Canada ( April 29, 2025, 2:34 PM EDT) -- Appeal by appellant from the decision awarding respondent MRM exclusive decision-making responsibility and majority parenting time, changing of the child’s surname into his and costs against the appellant. The appellant was in a common-law relationship with respondent JB who raised the child as his own until June 2022. The appellant was also involved with the respondent MRM who was later confirmed as the biological father through a court-ordered paternity test. MRM was initially granted gradual parenting time. In May 2019, he applied for shared parenting time and decision-making authority, while the appellant and JB sought exclusive rights. The trial revealed that the appellant left JB and moved in with another partner without informing MRM of the changes affecting the child. MRM filed a motion to reopen the trial, seeking majority parenting time and sole decision-making responsibility. JB aligned with MRM while the appellant claimed abuse by JB. The trial judge found the appellant and JB’s initial claims about their relationship to be false and deemed MRM’s testimony more credible, ultimately awarding him sole decision-making responsibility and majority parenting time. The child’s surname was changed to incorporate both biological parents’ surnames despite the appellant’s opposition. The appellant appealed, arguing errors in the trial judge’s assessment of evidence, communication issues between parents, the decision to change the child’s surname, and the costs awarded against her....