What happens if a party brings repeated motions that the court sees as harassing the other side?

Ontario family courts take a dim view of repeated motions brought without genuine new grounds, particularly where the pattern suggests an intent to wear down, intimidate, or financially burden the other party rather than to resolve a real issue. A court that identifies this kind of pattern has several tools available: dismissing the motions, awarding significant costs against the party bringing them, and, in more serious or persistent cases, imposing restrictions requiring that party to get the court's permission before bringing further motions on their own.

Because this pattern can seriously affect the other party's ability to manage the litigation, both financially and personally, courts are attentive to it and will look at the history of motions brought in the file as a whole, not just whether any single motion technically had some basis. A party who believes they're facing this kind of behaviour should keep a clear record of the motions brought against them and raise the pattern directly with the court, ideally through their lawyer, rather than simply responding to each motion individually as though it were an isolated event.