How Long Does a Family Law Case Take in Ontario Courts?
There is no fixed answer, because Ontario's court guide gives no set timelines for the steps after the pleadings. What it does set out is the order of the steps and some short early deadlines. How long the rest takes varies by court location, workload and how many conferences your case needs.
A case starts with an application, and the respondent has 30 days to serve and file an Answer, or 60 days if they live outside Canada and the United States, and the applicant has 10 days to file a Reply. Unless an exception applies, parties must attend a Mandatory Information Program session before their first appearance or case conference, and no later than 45 days after the case starts. A judge can also excuse attendance if your circumstances are urgent or attending would cause you hardship. Then the case moves through a case conference, a settlement conference, a trial management conference and then trial.
At a Unified Family Court branch, a first appearance before the clerk is also required, and the clerk usually sets a case conference date. Ontario says mediation can be faster, cheaper and more private than court. A lawyer can tell you what to expect at your court.
Key takeaways
- The court guide gives no fixed timelines for the case conference, settlement conference, trial management conference or trial.
- The respondent has 30 days to serve and file an Answer, or 60 days if they live outside Canada and the United States.
- Unless an exception applies, such as already having attended one, agreeing on all matters, or a judge excusing you, you must attend a Mandatory Information Program session no later than 45 days after the case starts.
- A first appearance before the clerk is required only at a Unified Family Court branch, where the clerk usually sets a case conference date.