3. Let the courts know about other orders
Question & Answer
What if I have family court and criminal court at the same time?Often, the judges in each court do not know what is happening in the other court. They might not even know that there is another court case in a different court.
It is important to let the judge know about the case in the other court. You should also let them know about any court orders that already exist. The judge can then avoid making an order that is different from an order from the other court.
Conflicting orders
Conflicting orders that say different things are confusing for the court and for you. For example, if there is a family for or and a criminal court order that there be no contact between you and your partner, your partner might be breaking the criminal order by going to your home to pick up the children.
Or, your partner might use the conflicting orders to their benefit and contact you to arrange parenting time. They might use this to continue abusing you. You might be confused about whether your partner is not following a court order or just doing what they are allowed to do under the other order.
Court orders can change often. So, it is important to make sure the has the most recent family court order every time you go to criminal court. You should also tell your family law lawyer or the family court about the most recent bail conditions.
Integrated Domestic Violence Court
There is only one Integrated Domestic Violence Court at 311 Jarvis Street in Toronto. This court deals with families that have criminal and family law cases involving domestic violence. There is one judge that handles both cases.
You may be able to use this court if:
- your criminal law case involves summary domestic violence-related charges
- your family law case does not involve , , or child protection
- the victim signs a consent form
- all , including the Crown and accused, agree
