Covid-19, Court Processes, and Support - FAQs
How have court processes changed because of Covid-19?
Family law in Ontario involves both provincial and federal legislation. As such, jurisdiction over family law matters in Ontario is divided between the Superior Court of Justice, the Ontario Court of Justice or the Unified Family Court. As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Superior Court of Justice and Ontario Court of Justice began limiting in-person attendance at courthouses for all matters besides trials, or unless absolutely necessary. This does not mean that your family law matter will not be heard by the courts. Rather, the courts continue to conduct proceedings by remote technology wherever possible, unless an in-person appearance is required to ensure meaningful access to justice. In an extra effort to keep all judicial officials, parties, and counsel safe, documents and requests may be submitted to either courthouse electronically using the Family Submissions Online portal or by email to the appropriate courthouse. It is still possible to file your documents and requests in person at the courthouse if you are unable to do so electronically, but you must first contact the appropriate courthouse for instructions. It remains of crucial importance that counsel and members of the public do not attend courthouses in person until further notice, unless they are unable to file their documents electronically or they have been scheduled to appear in court.
What is the Family Responsibility Office doing about support payments during Covid-19?
The Family Responsibility Office (FRO) continues to collect support from the person who is required to pay it, keep track of the amounts paid, and pay the appropriate amount to the person entitled to support. If you need to contact the FRO, their in-person counter is currently closed, but they can be reached by email, fax, or phone.
You may be unable to make your support payments because of Covid-19 if your business has closed, if you have been laid off, or if you are working less hours. If that is the case, you must contact the FRO as soon as possible. Tell the FRO your name, case number, contact information, why you cannot make your payments and if applicable, when you can expect to get back to full-time work. The FRO may take money from your bank accounts, retirement savings, wages, or other income to pay the support. They may also suspend your Canadian passport, take any Ontario lottery prize over $1,000.00, or report you to the credit bureau, which could damage your credit rating. The support order can also be registered as a “charge” against your property, meaning that you cannot sell or transfer ownership of the property until you pay any support owing. Lastly, the FRO will not garnish your Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) payments but can garnish your Employment Insurance and GST/HST credit payments.
What can I do if I do not have income to pay support because of Covid-19?
If you are unable to make your support payments, there are a few things that you can do to try and resolve the situation until you are able to make the payments again. Try talking to the person you owe support to and explaining your situation. You may be able to come to an agreement about paying at a later date. If paying at a later date is not an option, you may want to consider paying part of your support payments from any savings that you have, if that is a feasible option. You may want to ask the court to change your support obligations by bringing a motion to change. Lastly, if you lost your job or business, you should go to court.
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Meet Our Dedicated Team of Lawyers
Over a Century of Collective Experience
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Andrew Feldstein FounderRead BioAndrew Feldstein graduated from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1992. Prior to focusing exclusively on family law, Andrew’s legal practice covered many different areas, including corporate commercial. One of Andrew’s fundamental objectives is to achieve those goals mutually and collaboratively, as set out by him and his client.
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Daphna Schwartz LawyerRead Bio
Daphna Schwartz joined Feldstein Family Law Group, P.C. in 2007 as an associate lawyer. She was previously practising family law in the Barrie area. Her practice includes all areas of divorce and family law, including custody and access, child support, spousal support, and property issues. Daphna is also qualified to practise Collaborative Family Law.
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Anna Troitschanski LawyerRead Bio
Anna Troitschanski joined the team at Feldstein Family Law Group, P.C. in 2012. Prior to that, she practised Family Law at a boutique Newmarket firm. Her experience covers all areas of divorce and family law, including custody and access, child support, spousal support, division of property, and alternative dispute resolution.
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Nick Slinko LawyerRead Bio
Nick Slinko attended York University from 2003-2007 where he majored in both Law & Society and Philosophy. Nick graduated in 2007 with an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree. He proceeded to earn a Juris Doctor in Law at the University of Western Ontario in 2011. Nick was Called to the Bar in June of 2012 after completing his Articling term.
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Veronica Yeung LawyerRead Bio
Veronica Yeung joined the Feldstein Family Law Group, P.C. as a summer student in 2014 and returned as an articling student in 2015. Following her call to the Ontario Bar in June 2016, Veronica was welcomed to the team as an associate lawyer. Veronica attended York University for her undergraduate studies and was on the Dean’s Honour Roll.
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Shana Gordon-Katz LawyerRead Bio
Shana joined Feldstein Family Law Group P.C. as an articling student in 2017. Following her call to the Ontario Bar in June 2018, Shana was welcomed back to the firm as an associate. While completing her articles, Shana assisted with legal matters covering all areas of family law. Shana attended the University of Western Ontario.
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Rachel Zweig LawyerRead Bio
Rachel joined Feldstein Family Law Group P.C as a Summer Student in 2019 and returned as an Articling Student in 2020-2021. Following her Call to the Ontario Bar in April 2021, Rachel was welcomed back to the firm as an Associate. Rachel completed her legal studies and obtained her Juris Doctor at the University of Ottawa.
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Lauren Harvey Associate LawyerRead Bio
Lauren joined Feldstein Family Law Group as a Summer Student in 2020 and returned as an Articling Student in 2021-2022. Following her Call to the Ontario Bar in April 2022, Lauren was welcomed back to the firm as an Associate. Laura completed her legal studies and obtained her Juris Doctor at the University of Western Ontario.
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Quinn Held Associate LawyerRead Bio
Quinn spent two years as a Summer Student and then completed her Articling term at a boutique Family Law firm in Orangeville, where she was exposed to various complex Family Law matters. Following her Call to the Bar of Ontario in June 2022, she became an Associate with the Feldstein Family Law Group.
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Kyla Johnson Associate LawyerRead Bio
Kyla joined Feldstein Family Law Group P.C as an Articling Student in 2023. Following her Call to the Ontario Bar in April 2024, Kyla joined the team as an Associate. Prior to completing her legal studies and obtaining her Juris Doctor at the University of Ottawa, Kyla graduated from Queens University with a Bachelor of Arts with Honors.
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