Family Law
- Birth and adoption
- Marriage and common‑law relationships
- Separation and divorce
- Decision‑making and time with children
- Child support
- Spousal support
- Property and debts ‑ married couples
- Property and debts ‑ common‑law couples
- Child protection
- Partner abuse
- Restraining orders and peace bonds
- Out‑of‑court options
- Going to family court
- Getting legal help in Family Law
All questions by topic
Birth and adoption
How do I reclaim my traditional Indigenous name?
3,280Can I have contact with my child if CAS puts them for public adoption?
6,363What does it mean to place a child for adoption?
9,816How do I adopt a child in Ontario?
63,457I’m a birth parent. Can I find a child I placed for adoption?
6,903I’m a birth parent. Can my adopted child find me?
7,168I’m adopted. Can I find out about my birth parents?
20,650How do I prove who my child’s other parent is?
15,690How do I get a health card for my baby?
30,331How do I register my baby’s birth in Ontario?
23,787Marriage and common‑law relationships
I lost my marriage certificate. How do I get another one?
89,155How do we get married in Ontario?
166,282How do we get married outside of Ontario?
14,337Is there a legal difference between being married and living together?
57,741What is a prenup or a marriage contract?
46,837What is a cohabitation agreement?
33,880Separation and divorce
How do I get my divorce certificate?
7,497What legal issues should I think about when I separate or divorce?
32,521Can we resolve our family law issues without going to court?
14,419How do I legally separate from my partner?
75,852What is an annulment and how do I get one?
63,973Do I have to get a divorce?
70,147How do I apply for a divorce by myself?
135,571How do I apply for a divorce with my partner?
48,074What if my partner and I agree on what to do after we separate or divorce?
31,098What can I do if my partner and I can’t agree after separating?
13,429I’m not a Canadian citizen. Will I be forced to leave Canada if my partner and I separate or divorce?
23,428How do I make an agreement that the court will enforce?
24,528What can I do if my partner isn’t following our separation agreement?
22,380How do I change my separation agreement?
28,003What can I do if my partner isn’t following our court order?
21,584How do I change my court order?
16,764I lost my marriage certificate. How do I get another one?
89,155Decision‑making and time with children
What is decision-making responsibility and who gets it?
40,029What is parenting time and who gets it?
22,137Who will my child live with?
16,777Can my child decide who they want to live with?
158,027I’m a parent. Do my child’s grandparents have the right to spend time with them?
80,301I’m a grandparent. Do I have the right to spend time with my grandchild?
3,351Can I travel with my child after I separate or divorce?
39,957I do not have a court order about parenting. Can I move with my child?
29,066I have a court order about parenting. Can I move with my child?
3,706How can I help my child cope with my separation or divorce?
8,168What if we agree on what happens with our child?
14,580What if we can’t agree on what happens with our child?
14,262Can I send my child to another province or country before parenting is decided?
8,580What can I do if my partner won’t let me see my child?
38,565My child doesn’t want to visit my partner. What should I do?
12,086What if I’m worried about my child’s safety when they’re with my partner?
22,877What can I do if my partner doesn’t show up for parenting time?
11,165What is an assessment? Why would I want one?
30,646How do I change parenting arrangements in my agreement?
24,054How do I bring a motion to change a court order about parenting arrangements?
44,446Child support
What is child support?
39,608Who pays child support?
26,121How much child support must be paid?
37,806What are special or extraordinary expenses?
71,505When can a parent pay less child support?
70,642My partner isn’t paying child support. What should I do?
33,207What if my partner is paid in cash or is hiding money to avoid paying child support?
60,444When does child support end? How do I end it?
92,818Is child support taxed?
34,175Can I get child support and also get money from ODSP?
18,261Can I get child support and money from OW?
19,110What should we do if we agree on child support?
13,395What should we do if we can’t agree on child support?
11,454Can I use Ontario’s online Child Support Service?
13,960How can child support be changed?
21,834How do I change child support in my separation agreement?
14,482How do I change child support in my court order?
20,430Can I use Ontario’s online Child Support Service to change child support?
14,932How do I bring a motion to change child support?
46,673How does the FRO enforce child support?
49,156I haven’t paid child support. How do I get a refraining order?
20,856Spousal support
What is spousal support?
20,217How much spousal support must be paid?
18,508Can I get spousal support?
17,345Do I have to pay spousal support?
43,215My partner isn’t paying spousal support. What should I do?
11,887What if my partner is paid in cash or is hiding money to avoid paying spousal support?
9,165When does spousal support end? How do I end it?
58,779How is spousal support taxed?
52,560Can I get spousal support and money from OW?
13,163Can I get spousal support and money from ODSP?
18,976What should we do if we agree on spousal support?
9,416What should we do if we can’t agree on spousal support?
6,478How do I change spousal support in my separation agreement?
11,427How do I change spousal support in my court order?
9,795How do I bring a motion to change spousal support?
17,835How does the FRO enforce spousal support?
11,977I haven’t paid spousal support. How do I get a refraining order?
7,503Property and debts ‑ married couples
We’re married. Do we have to divide our property and debts if we separate or divorce?
27,496We’re married. How do we divide our property and debts if we separate or divorce?
48,696We’re married. What if we agree on what happens to our property and debts after we separate or divorce?
11,359We’re married. What if we can’t agree on what happens to our property and debts after we separate or divorce?
11,192We’re married. Who gets to stay in our home if we separate or divorce?
88,553We’re married. What happens to my partner’s property if they die?
29,157We’re married. What happens to CPP benefits if we separate or one of us dies?
33,090We’re married. What happens to our pensions if we separate or divorce?
26,836Property and debts ‑ common‑law couples
We’re not married. What happens to our property and debts if we separate?
115,927We’re not married. What if we agree on what happens to our property and debts after we separate?
11,388We’re not married. What if we can’t agree on what happens to our property and debts after we separate?
13,903We’re not married. Who gets to stay in our home if we separate?
23,846We’re not married. What happens to our pensions if we separate?
18,816We’re not married. What happens to my partner’s property if they die?
78,598We’re not married. What happens to CPP benefits after we separate or one of us dies?
22,840Child protection
What should I do if I think a child is being abused or neglected?
7,838What can CAS do if they think my child is being abused or neglected?
9,936What if CAS wants to talk to me or my child?
33,066Can I agree to get help from CAS?
9,813What if CAS takes my child?
30,804Do I have the right to a lawyer in my child protection case?
6,018How do I get access to see my child after CAS takes them?
8,398What do I do if I get court papers from CAS?
5,997What is an Answer and Plan of Care in my child protection case?
9,249What if I miss the deadline to serve and file my Answer and Plan of Care?
4,245What happens at the first court date in my child protection case?
4,864What is a temporary care and custody hearing in my child protection case?
7,952What is a conference in my child protection case?
5,949What is alternative dispute resolution in a child protection case?
7,761What happens at a child protection hearing or trial?
8,738What happens at a status review in my child protection case?
6,974Can I have contact with my child if CAS puts them for public adoption?
6,363How do I complain about a CAS worker?
21,824Partner abuse
How do I know I’m in an abusive situation?
25,971Can I take my child with me when I leave my abusive partner?
66,168Will I be forced to leave Canada if I leave my abusive partner?
34,199What if I have to move out because of violence or abuse?
18,297How does an abusive relationship affect my family law issues?
9,693What happens if I call the police about my abusive partner?
35,113What if my abusive partner is charged with a crime?
23,539My partner is abusing me, but what happens if the police charge me?
28,434What if I have family court and criminal court at the same time?
14,275What is the difference between a restraining order and a peace bond?
51,934What if I need a court order quickly to deal with an abusive partner?
11,903How can I keep my abusive partner away from me after I leave?
26,422What if I’m worried about my child’s safety when they’re with my partner?
22,877What if my partner says they’re going to take our child away from me?
22,927What if my partner takes our child to another country without my permission?
9,750Where can I find legal support if I have experienced partner abuse?
17,105How do I apply for a legal aid certificate?
29,145Restraining orders and peace bonds
What is the difference between a restraining order and a peace bond?
51,934What is a restraining order?
42,872How do I ask for a restraining order in my family law application?
12,708How do I ask for a restraining order in a family law motion?
13,094How do I apply for a peace bond?
61,999Should I sign a peace bond?
24,278What happens if I do not follow a peace bond?
14,960Out‑of‑court options
Can we resolve our family law issues without going to court?
14,419What if my partner and I agree on what to do after we separate or divorce?
31,098What is negotiation?
8,190What is parenting coordination?
16,990What is collaborative family law?
19,502What is mediation?
34,797What is mediation-arbitration?
20,720What is arbitration?
20,429Going to family court
I have a family court date in the Superior Court of Justice. What should I do?
9,188I have a family court date in the Ontario Court of Justice. What should I do?
6,977Why do I want to go to family court?
10,534Can we stop our family case and try to solve our problems another way?
20,058What if I have family court and criminal court at the same time?
14,275Which court do I start my family law case at?
7,823How do I start a family law court case?
27,179How do I respond to a family law court case?
12,841How can I file forms and documents in my family law case?
2,713How do I file court forms for my family case online?
12,652What does serving your documents mean in a family court case?
32,510What is a continuing record and how do I prepare one?
17,575What is a financial statement? What documents do I have to give my partner?
43,667What happens at a first court date in my family court case?
19,365What is an offer to settle in a family court case?
27,346What is the Mandatory Information Program in my family court case?
28,801What is a case conference in my family case and what happens at one?
44,701What is a settlement conference in my family case and what happens at one?
27,770What is a trial management conference in my family case and what happens at one?
19,210How do I prepare for a family law trial?
14,308What happens at a family law trial?
34,139What happens after my family law trial?
10,786How do I change my court order?
16,764How do I bring a motion to change child support?
46,673How do I bring a motion to change spousal support?
17,835How do I bring a motion to change a court order about parenting arrangements?
44,446What is a motion on consent in family law and what happens at one?
16,606What is a motion without consent in family law and what happens at one?
17,533What is an urgent motion with notice in family law and what happens at one?
26,206What is an emergency or ex parte motion in family law and what happens at one?
50,530Getting legal help in Family Law
Where can I find a lawyer to help with my family law issue?
39,580I can’t afford a family law lawyer. Where can I find legal help?
66,738Where can I find legal support if I have experienced partner abuse?
17,105Do I have the right to a lawyer in my child protection case?
6,018How do I prepare for my meeting with a lawyer or paralegal?
7,382How do I apply for a legal aid certificate?
29,145How do I complain about a CAS worker?
21,824How do I complain about my lawyer’s bill?
20,981How do I complain to the Law Society of Ontario about a lawyer or paralegal?
34,295