Serving court documents or “service” is when you give a copy of all the documents in your case to the other person in your case, who is known as the other party. You have to serve your documents to the other party because that person has a right to: know about a case that has…

Separation is when you and your ex—you can either be married or common‑law—decide to live apart. If you’re married, being separated doesn’t mean your marriage has ended. A divorce is when a court officially ends your marriage. How do you “legally” separate in Ontario? Here are some tips to guide you through the process. What…

Mediation is a process where a trained professional helps you and your ex to settle a variety of issues. Mediation might be right for you if you have no concerns for your safety and you and your ex are both open to working together. Mediation is a good alternative to going to family court. Here…

For any family court case, there are Family Law Rules that have to be followed. In those rules, you can find out the exact steps of a case and what forms you will need to complete. Tip: the family court forms match the family law rule number. For example, rule 8 is about starting a…

Decision-making responsibility (formerly custody) is about making major decisions about how to care for and raise your children. These decisions could include: Health care Religion or spirituality Education Decision-making responsibility is not about where the child lives. For example you could have sole decision-making responsibility and are the only decision maker, but your child lives…

A simple divorce is also known as an uncontested divorce, which is when you and your ex agree to divorce. This is different from a contested divorce, which is when you and your ex do not agree to all the issues raised by the divorce. This could include disagreements about child custody or support or…