Can an Ontario court extend the six-month deadline to bring a dependant support claim?

Yes, but with an important limit. SLRA s.61(2) gives Ontario courts discretion to allow a dependant support claim to be brought after the usual six-month deadline has passed. The catch is that an extended claim can only reach the part of the estate that hasn't yet been distributed to beneficiaries at the time the extension is granted — the court can't unwind gifts or transfers that have already been properly paid out.

This means an extension is most useful when at least some of the estate is still sitting with the estate trustee, and progressively less useful the further distribution has gone. A court considering whether to grant an extension will look at the whole picture — including why the claim wasn't brought sooner and what's realistically still available — but there's no fixed test or guaranteed outcome. If you've missed the six-month window, don't assume it's too late, but don't assume it's fine to wait either — the practical value of an extension shrinks the longer the estate has to distribute assets. Getting legal advice promptly is the best way to find out where things actually stand.