Family Court in Ontario

It's the court system that decides family-law disputes — parenting, support, property, and related matters — when people can't resolve them on their own. See family court: a getting-started guide.

Parenting time and decision-making disputes, child and spousal support, property division, and requests to change or enforce an existing order are the most common. See getting started with family court.

Generally, figuring out which court has jurisdiction over your matter, and gathering the financial and other information you'll need to file. See choosing the correct court.

One party files an application with the court and formally serves it on the other party, who then has an opportunity to respond. See starting a family court case and responding to an application.

An early, informal meeting with a judge aimed at identifying the real issues in dispute, encouraging settlement, and setting a plan for the case going forward. See case conferences explained.

A later conference, generally held once disclosure is more complete, focused specifically on trying to settle the case before it proceeds to trial. See settlement conferences explained.

A request asking a judge to decide a specific issue before the case is fully resolved — often for urgent or temporary relief. See motions in family court.

Temporary (interim) orders address one or more issues on a short-term basis while a case is still ongoing, often made after a motion, and remain in place until a further order, a final order, or an agreement replaces them. See temporary orders.

If a case doesn't settle, a judge hears evidence from both sides and makes a final decision on the outstanding issues. Most family cases never reach this stage. See family court trials.

It depends on what the order covers — support terms are generally enforced through the Family Responsibility Office, while other terms may require a further court application. See enforcing a family court order.

Generally, yes, where there has been a material change in circumstances since the order was made. See changing a family court order.

In limited circumstances, yes — generally only where there's a legal error, not simply because a party disagrees with the result, and within a strict appeal period. See appealing a family court order.