All questions by topic
Birth and adoption
How do I reclaim my traditional Indigenous name?
2,365Can I have contact with my child if CAS puts them for public adoption?
5,659What does it mean to place a child for adoption?
9,203How do I adopt a child in Ontario?
62,418I’m a birth parent. Can I find a child I placed for adoption?
6,270I’m a birth parent. Can my adopted child find me?
6,585I’m adopted. Can I find out about my birth parents?
19,803How do I prove who my child’s other parent is?
14,701How do I get a health card for my baby?
29,423How do I register my baby’s birth in Ontario?
22,731Marriage and common‑law relationships
I lost my marriage certificate. How do I get another one?
87,670How do we get married in Ontario?
162,409How do we get married outside of Ontario?
13,653Is there a legal difference between being married and living together?
56,488What is a prenup or a marriage contract?
45,726What is a cohabitation agreement?
32,864Separation and divorce
How do I get my divorce certificate?
5,032What legal issues should I think about when I separate or divorce?
31,156Can we resolve our family law issues without going to court?
13,519How do I legally separate from my partner?
74,404What is an annulment and how do I get one?
62,259Do I have to get a divorce?
69,018How do I apply for a divorce by myself?
133,485How do I apply for a divorce with my partner?
46,420What if my partner and I agree on what to do after we separate or divorce?
30,115What can I do if my partner and I can’t agree after separating?
12,569I’m not a Canadian citizen. Will I be forced to leave Canada if my partner and I separate or divorce?
22,728How do I make an agreement that the court will enforce?
23,492What can I do if my partner isn’t following our separation agreement?
21,401How do I change my separation agreement?
27,314What can I do if my partner isn’t following our court order?
20,589How do I change my court order?
15,815I lost my marriage certificate. How do I get another one?
87,670Decision‑making and time with children
What is decision-making responsibility and who gets it?
38,687What is parenting time and who gets it?
21,134Who will my child live with?
15,845Can my child decide who they want to live with?
156,000I’m a parent. Do my child’s grandparents have the right to spend time with them?
79,229I’m a grandparent. Do I have the right to spend time with my grandchild?
2,629Can I travel with my child after I separate or divorce?
38,992I don’t have a court order about parenting. Can I move with my child?
27,768I have a court order about parenting. Can I move with my child?
2,972How can I help my child cope with my separation or divorce?
7,611What if we agree on what happens with our child?
13,887What if we can’t agree on what happens with our child?
13,423Can I send my child to another province or country before parenting is decided?
8,007What can I do if my partner won’t let me see my child?
37,432My child doesn’t want to visit my partner. What should I do?
11,273What if I’m worried about my child’s safety when they’re with my partner?
21,908What can I do if my partner doesn’t show up for parenting time?
10,384What is an assessment? Why would I want one?
29,610How do I change parenting arrangements in my agreement?
23,270How do I bring a motion to change a court order about parenting arrangements?
43,053Child support
What is child support?
38,588Who pays child support?
25,183How much child support must be paid?
36,604What are special or extraordinary expenses?
70,092When can a parent pay less child support?
69,562My partner isn’t paying child support. What should I do?
31,658What if my partner is paid in cash or is hiding money to avoid paying child support?
59,435When does child support end? How do I end it?
91,327Is child support taxed?
33,420Can I get child support and also get money from ODSP?
17,439Can I get child support and money from OW?
18,378What should we do if we agree on child support?
12,703What should we do if we can’t agree on child support?
10,704Can I use Ontario’s online Child Support Service?
13,200How can child support be changed?
20,531How do I change child support in my separation agreement?
13,739How do I change child support in my court order?
19,582Can I use Ontario’s online Child Support Service to change child support?
13,998How do I bring a motion to change child support?
45,334How does the FRO enforce child support?
47,995I haven’t paid child support. How do I get a refraining order?
19,970Spousal support
What is spousal support?
19,298How much spousal support must be paid?
17,613Can I get spousal support?
16,506Do I have to pay spousal support?
42,430My partner isn’t paying spousal support. What should I do?
11,054What if my partner is paid in cash or is hiding money to avoid paying spousal support?
8,453When does spousal support end? How do I end it?
57,653How is spousal support taxed?
51,692Can I get spousal support and money from OW?
12,491Can I get spousal support and money from ODSP?
18,211What should we do if we agree on spousal support?
8,897What should we do if we can’t agree on spousal support?
5,926How do I change spousal support in my separation agreement?
10,827How do I change spousal support in my court order?
9,124How do I bring a motion to change spousal support?
16,951How does the FRO enforce spousal support?
11,043I haven’t paid spousal support. How do I get a refraining order?
6,595Property and debts ‑ married couples
We’re married. Do we have to divide our property and debts if we separate or divorce?
26,573We’re married. How do we divide our property and debts if we separate or divorce?
47,434We’re married. What if we agree on what happens to our property and debts after we separate or divorce?
10,589We’re married. What if we can’t agree on what happens to our property and debts after we separate or divorce?
10,572We’re married. Who gets to stay in our home if we separate or divorce?
87,238We’re married. What happens to my partner’s property if they die?
27,852We’re married. What happens to CPP benefits if we separate or one of us dies?
31,664We’re married. What happens to our pensions if we separate or divorce?
25,727Property and debts ‑ common‑law couples
We’re not married. What happens to our property and debts if we separate?
114,693We’re not married. What if we agree on what happens to our property and debts after we separate?
10,753We’re not married. What if we can’t agree on what happens to our property and debts after we separate?
13,198We’re not married. Who gets to stay in our home if we separate?
22,932We’re not married. What happens to our pensions if we separate?
17,675We’re not married. What happens to my partner’s property if they die?
77,510We’re not married. What happens to CPP benefits after we separate or one of us dies?
22,093Child protection
What should I do if I think a child is being abused or neglected?
7,035What can CAS do if they think my child is being abused or neglected?
9,003What if CAS wants to talk to me or my child?
31,729Can I agree to get help from CAS?
9,008What if CAS takes my child?
29,034Do I have the right to a lawyer in my child protection case?
5,376How do I get access to see my child after CAS takes them?
7,614What do I do if I get court papers from CAS?
5,287What is an Answer and Plan of Care in my child protection case?
8,321What if I miss the deadline to serve and file my Answer and Plan of Care?
3,671What happens at the first court date in my child protection case?
4,230What is a temporary care and custody hearing in my child protection case?
7,159What is a conference in my child protection case?
5,202What is alternative dispute resolution in a child protection case?
6,914What happens at a child protection hearing or trial?
7,911What happens at a status review in my child protection case?
6,093Can I have contact with my child if CAS puts them for public adoption?
5,659How do I complain about a CAS worker?
20,885Partner abuse
How do I know I’m in an abusive situation?
25,093Can I take my child with me when I leave my abusive partner?
65,010Will I be forced to leave Canada if I leave my abusive partner?
33,443What if I have to move out because of violence or abuse?
16,753How does an abusive relationship affect my family law issues?
9,046What happens if I call the police about my abusive partner?
34,225What if my abusive partner is charged with a crime?
22,724My partner is abusing me, but what happens if the police charge me?
27,489What if I have family court and criminal court at the same time?
13,506What is the difference between a restraining order and a peace bond?
50,469What if I need a court order quickly to deal with an abusive partner?
11,108How can I keep my abusive partner away from me after I leave?
25,416What if I’m worried about my child’s safety when they’re with my partner?
21,908What if my partner says they’re going to take our child away from me?
21,905What if my partner takes our child to another country without my permission?
8,904Where can I find legal support if I have experienced partner abuse?
16,149How do I apply for a legal aid certificate?Updated January 30
27,682Restraining orders and peace bonds
What is the difference between a restraining order and a peace bond?
50,469What is a restraining order?
41,756How do I ask for a restraining order in my family law application?
11,684How do I ask for a restraining order in a family law motion?
12,342How do I apply for a peace bond?
59,907Should I sign a peace bond?
23,341What happens if I don’t follow a peace bond?
14,219Out‑of‑court options
Can we resolve our family law issues without going to court?
13,519What if my partner and I agree on what to do after we separate or divorce?
30,115What is negotiation?
7,562What is parenting coordination?
15,746What is collaborative family law?
18,496What is mediation?
33,329What is mediation-arbitration?
19,575What is arbitration?
19,690Going to family court
I have a family court date in the Superior Court of Justice. What should I do?
8,153I have a family court date in the Ontario Court of Justice. What should I do?
6,046Why do I want to go to family court?
9,967Can we stop our family case and try to solve our problems another way?
19,164What if I have family court and criminal court at the same time?
13,506Which court do I start my family law case at?
7,257How do I start a family law court case?
26,184How do I respond to a family law court case?
12,045How can I file forms and documents in my family law case?
1,969How do I file court forms for my family case online?
11,428What does serving your documents mean in a family court case?
31,633What is a continuing record and how do I prepare one?
16,588What is a financial statement? What documents do I have to give my partner?
42,280What happens at a first court date in my family court case?
18,497What is an offer to settle in a family court case?
26,467What is the Mandatory Information Program in my family court case?
27,893What is a case conference in my family case and what happens at one?
43,699What is a settlement conference in my family case and what happens at one?
26,667What is a trial management conference in my family case and what happens at one?
18,219How do I prepare for a family law trial?
13,421What happens at a family law trial?
32,985What happens after my family law trial?
10,018How do I change my court order?
15,815How do I bring a motion to change child support?
45,334How do I bring a motion to change spousal support?
16,951How do I bring a motion to change a court order about parenting arrangements?
43,053What is a motion on consent in family law and what happens at one?
15,804What is a motion without consent in family law and what happens at one?
16,730What is an urgent motion with notice in family law and what happens at one?
25,350What is an emergency or ex parte motion in family law and what happens at one?
49,491Getting legal help in Family Law
Where can I find a lawyer to help with my family law issue?
38,284I can’t afford a family law lawyer. Where can I find legal help?
65,050Where can I find legal support if I have experienced partner abuse?
16,149Do I have the right to a lawyer in my child protection case?
5,376How do I prepare for my meeting with a lawyer or paralegal?
6,484How do I apply for a legal aid certificate?Updated January 30
27,682How do I complain about a CAS worker?
20,885How do I complain about my lawyer’s bill?
19,646How do I complain about a lawyer or paralegal?
33,272