Is religious-law-based family arbitration still permitted in Ontario?

Couples are free to seek guidance from religious leaders or councils, and to structure their own agreements around religious principles if they both wish to. But for a decision to count as a binding, enforceable "family arbitration award" under Ontario's family law framework, it generally has to be decided in accordance with the law of Ontario or another Canadian jurisdiction, not the rules of a religious tradition applied on their own. This means arbitration purely under religious law, without applying Canadian law to reach the decision, isn't treated as an enforceable family arbitration award the way a properly conducted secular arbitration would be.

In practice, this doesn't stop people from consulting religious authorities informally, or from voluntarily choosing to follow a religious ruling as a matter of personal or community commitment. It does mean that if enforceability through the family law system matters, the process needs to follow Ontario's legal framework rather than religious law alone. Anyone considering this route should get legal advice early to understand what will and won't be enforceable before relying on a particular process.