Information on Divorce: Government Publications
The Support Families Experiencing Separation and Divorce Initiative
The Supporting Families Experiencing Separation and Divorce Initiative (SFI) is a new, five-year family law strategy that began on April 1, 2009. The Government of Canada has funded the SFI to help reduce the stress on families when parents separate or divorce, by providing family justice services run by provinces and territories, including mediation, parent information sessions and support recalculation services.
Divorce Law: Questions and Answers from the Department of Justice
Basic information about divorce law in Canada, including suggestions about where to find more information.
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Divorce Literature and Articles on Divorce
The Lawyers Weekly
Published 48 times a year, The Lawyers Weekly provides lawyers with information essential to maintaining and building a successful practice in today's competitive business environment.
Kids and Divorce: An Age-By-Age Guide
An age-by-age guide providing a window into the differences between children's experiences of divorce based on age.
Parenting After Divorce
Expert advice on how to share daily routines for raising your children after divorce.
Divorce Dos and Don'ts
Tips on making divorce easier on your kids.
Uncommon Advice from the Bench
A seasoned divorce judge offers tips on how to get past divorce and on with your life.
Ten Way to Protect Your Kids from a High Conflict Break-Up
Joan B. Kelly, Ph.D. discusses ten ways to protect kids during a high conflict break-up.
Common Law Relationships in Canada
A look at some of the rights and obligations surrounding common-law relationships, which are growing 16 times the rate of marriages in Canada.
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Relevant Legislation
Federal Child Support Guidelines
Regulations under the Divorce Act that apply when setting child support amounts. The guidelines consist of a set of rules and tables. The guidelines are the law.
Spousal Support Advisory Guidelines
Guidelines in determining how much spousal support should be paid and how long spousal support should be paid for, within the existing legal framework of the Divorce Act. The Advisory Guidelines are not a law.
Divorce Act
A federal law that lays out the guidelines and deals with divorce, custody, child support and spousal support.
Family Law Act
Statute governing family property, child and spousal support, the matrimonial home, domestic contracts, and restraining orders.
Family Law Rules
Rules that guide family law litigation cases in the Family Court of the Superior Court of Justice, in the Superior Court of Justice and in the Ontario Court of Justice.
Children's Law Reform Act
Provides a very detailed, thorough and comprehensive list of factors to be considered when making any decisions relating to parentage, custody and access, and guardianship for children in Ontario.
Arbitration Act
Guidelines for judicial facilitation of private dispute resolution through arbitration, a legal technique for the resolution of disputes outside of court.
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Helping Your Child(ren) Cope with Divorce
Because Life Goes On... Helping Children and Youth Live with Separation and Divorce
Public Health Agency of Canada publication designed to provide parents and other adults with general information and suggestions. It also includes up-to-date resources and organizations available in your community and across Canada that can provide you with information, support and services.
KidsHealth
For kids, teens and parents. As part of The Nemours Foundation's Center for Children's Health Media, KidsHealth provides families with perspective, advice and comfort about a wide range of physical, emotional and behavioural issues that affect children and teens.
Divorce Aid
An independent organization of professionals who volunteer to help families cope with divorce by providing advice, support and information on any matter.
Kids Help Phone
Canada's only toll-free, 24-hour, bilingual and anonymous phone counselling, web counselling and referral service for children and youth. Every day, professional counsellors provide support to young people across the country.
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Useful Links and Tools: Keeping Yourself Informed
Community Legal Education Ontario (CLEO)
A community legal clinic that specializes in public legal education, by providing information and publications covering an array of legal topics. CLEO is administered by a volunteer board of directors, and funded by Legal Aid Ontario and the Department of Justice Canada. Staff include lawyers, editors and support staff.
A Guide to Procedures in Family Court
A guide that describes what steps are taken by each party in family court.
Federal Child Support Guidelines: Step-by-Step Guide
Published by the Department of Justice Canada, this publication sets out the eight steps you can work through to estimate what an appropriate amount of child support would likely be in your situation, to help you come to an agreement. You will find worksheets and step-by-step instructions to help you make the right calculations.
Child Support Calculator
The Department of Justice Canada offers an online look-up to determine how much baseline child support should be paid based on number of children, residence and income. Special expenses, type of custody agreement and other factors may affect this estimate.
Court Locator
Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General listing of Ontario Court Addresses, including any accessibility/closure updates.
Ontario Family Court Forms
Electronic versions of forms under the Family Law Rules, O. Reg. 114/99, are available in a viewable (Adobe PDF) and fillable (Microsoft Word 2000) format. Both formats are printable. The fillable format can be completed on-line and saved to your computer for future reference.
Ontario Court Forms Assistant
The Ontario Court Forms Assistant website can help you complete common small claims and family court forms. An online wizard provides a series of questions and uses your answers to create the court form. You can print and save your forms and take them to the courthouse to be filed.
How to obtain a copy of your Divorce Order, Certificate of Divorce or other court documents
Helpful links and contacts to help you obtain a copy of your divorce order, certificate of divorce or any other court document.
Our Family Wizard (for shared parenting)
The Our Family Wizard Website provides parents with a new way to manage all of the details that come with shared parenting. It is a unique website designated to facilitating communications between divorced or separated parents. Our Family Wizard is committed to removing conflict and improving the lives of the children involved.
Canada Pension Plan - Credit Splitting Upon Divorce or Separation
Information provided by Service Canada on how the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) is handled after a divorce. CPP credits built up by a couple during the time they lived together are considered to be assets and can be divided equally in the same way that other assets are.
CanLII - A Case Law Database
CanLII's goal is to make Canadian law accessible for free on the Internet via online databases publishing court documents and collections.
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Contact Information You May Be Seeking
The Office of the Children's Lawyer
The Office of the Children's Lawyer is a law office in the Ministry of the Attorney General which delivers programs in the administration of justice on behalf of children under the age of 18 with respect to their personal and property rights. Lawyers within the office represent children in various areas of law including child custody and access disputes, child protection proceedings, estate matters and civil litigation.
The Family Responsibility Office (FRO)
The Family Responsibility Office (FRO) works to make sure that support payments flow from the person who pays the support (the payor) to the person who receives it (the recipient). If support payments are not made, the FRO has legal authority to take enforcement action.
Brayden Supervision Services
Brayden Supervision Services is dedicated to providing the highest quality supervision, chaperone and transitional care services for children, adolescents, adults and seniors requiring individual attention.
Ontario Association of Children's Aid Societies (OACAS)
OACAS represents Children’s Aid Societies in Ontario and provides service in the areas of government relations, communications, information management, education and training to advocate for the protection and well-being of children. Promoting child welfare issues to influence public commitment and opinion is a critical role for OACAS.
Paternity Testing
Genetrack is an international biotechnology company specializing in DNA identity testing for personal and court use. There are over 500 collection locations throughout Canada. Private home DNA testing kits are available.
Canada Revenue Agency (CRA)
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) administers tax laws for the Government of Canada, and for most provinces and territories, and various social and economic benefit and incentive programs delivered through the tax system.
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Mediation Services
Search for a Mediator
The ADR Institute of Ontario provides information about mediation and arbitration and access to mediators and arbitrators in Ontario.
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Counselling/Support Services
Yorktown Family Services
Yorktown Family Services is a community-based nonprofit social services agency dedicated to providing effective, accessible, quality mental health treatment, prevention and out-reach services to children, youth women and families in the former City of York.
Jewish Family and Child Services
Jewish Family & Child supports the healthy development of individuals, families and communities in the Greater Toronto Area through prevention, protection, counselling, education and advocacy services, within the context of Jewish values.
Parents Without Partners - Toronto Chapter
Parents Without Partners Inc. is the largest, non-profit, volunteer organization dedicated to the welfare of today’s single parents and their children. The Toronto Chapter provides an environment for mutual support, friendship, the exchange of information and organizes activities for single parent families in three distinct program areas: family and youth activities, parent social activities and educational meetings.
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Domestic Violence
Interval House
As the first centre for abused women and children in Canada, Interval House is a leader in the campaign for women’s empowerment, providing innovative, specialized services that help abused women and their children transform their lives and break the cycle of violence.
Assaulted Women's Hotline
The Assaulted Women’s Helpline (AWHL) is a free, anonymous and confidential 24-hour telephone and TTY crisis telephone line for all women in the province of Ontario who have experienced any form of abuse. AWHL provides crisis counselling, safety planning, emotional support, information and referrals accessible 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
Family Violence Initiative (FVI) - Public Health Agency of Canada
The Family Violence Initiative (FVI) is a long-term commitment of the Government of Canada to address violence within relationships of kinship, intimacy, dependency or trust. The Public Health Agency of Canada leads and coordinates the FVI on behalf of 15 partner departments, agencies and Crown corporations.
Family Violence Initiative (FVI) - Department of Justice
An informative publication as part of the Family Violence Initiative (FVI) for immigrant and refugee women who are suffering from abuse in a relationship or in a family.
Shelternet
Shelternet is Canada's first and only national online resource and support network for abused women and their children. Shelternet connects abused women to shelters. The website provides reliable and up-to-date information for abused women, their family, friends, and colleagues in Canada.
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