Official court procedure Court direction

Consolidated Provincial Practice Direction for Family Proceedings

Ontario Superior Court of Justice

Source sectionProvince-wide family practice direction — updated March 17, 2026

Source checked2026-08-08

VersionUpdated March 17, 2026

Related explanation

Court

Superior Court of Justice — family cases

Court: Superior Court of Justice

The Superior Court of Justice hears family-law matters including divorce and family-property claims, as well as parenting, support and other family issues within its jurisdiction.

The Superior Court of Justice is Ontario’s higher trial court. In family law it has jurisdiction over divorce and property claims and can also deal with parenting, contact, child and spousal support, restraining orders and other family matters. At designated Family Court branch locations, the court operates as a unified family court and can also deal with matters such as child protection and adoption.

SCJ family procedure is governed by the Family Law Rules, applicable legislation and court orders, together with the province-wide family practice direction and the practice direction for the judicial region where the case is heard. Filing, Case Center, confirmation, hearing-mode and scheduling requirements can therefore depend on both the type of step and the court location.

Source summary

What this source covers

The current Superior Court province-wide family practice direction covers filing, Case Center, motions, conferences, financial disclosure, Binding JDR, virtual hearings and other court requirements.

For exact wording, dates, exceptions and current requirements, read the original source. Binding law and court directions take priority over explanatory material.

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Law and rules

Related official provisions

Binding law / official textNorthwest Region Practice Direction

Part 2 — Civil Proceedings, Section A Motions (Short Motions , Orders and Endorsements from Regional Motions Court , Long Motions , and Confirmation Forms ) of this Consolidated Practice Direction also apply to motions in family proceedings.

Confirmation forms for all family motions must be filed and uploaded three (3) business days prior to the event. B. Family Conferences

Ontario Superior Court of JusticeSuperior Court of Justice — Northwest

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Binding law / official textCentral South Region Practice Direction

Part 5 — : Family Proceedings

A. Filings Counsel and parties in family proceedings are advised to refer to the Consolidated Provincial Practice Direction for Family Proceedings at the Superior Court of Justice, for the filing of court documents and limited filing by email. The Consolidated Provincial Practice Direction is available at: Consolidated Provincial Practice Direction for Family Proceedings at the Superior Court of Justice The Court will accept limited filing by e-mail at the specific e-mail addresses indicated below in accordance with Family Proceedings Part 1 A 2, Limited Filings by Email of the Consolidated Provincial Practice Direction.Click here for the Limited Filing by Email section Hamilton (Family) — HamiltonFamilyCourt@ontario.ca Kitchener /Waterloo — WaterlooRegionFamily@ontario.ca St. Catharines- SCJStCatharinesCourthouse@ontario.ca Welland – SCJWellandCourthouse@ontario.ca Brantford — brantfordscjcourt@ontario.ca Cayuga — haldimandcountycourt@ontario.ca Simcoe — simcoe.scj.courts@ontario.ca B. Case Conferences…

Ontario Superior Court of JusticeSuperior Court of Justice — Central South

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Binding law / official textCentral West Region Practice Direction

Rule 13 — (3.1) of the Family Law Rules sets out which documents MUST be included with a Financial Statement where child or spousal support has been sought. An updated Certificate of Financial Disclosure must be provided to the other party.

A party who has not made all reasonable efforts to comply with their disclosure obligations may be subject to a cost sanction, directions/terms imposed and/or the adjournment of any motion brought by that party until compliance. In egregious cases, upon motion, continued non-compliance may result in a party’s pleadings being struck or found in contempt of Court. C. Motions to Change The Family Law Rules direct the Court to determine the next steps in a Motion to Change, with a view to ensuring that these motions proceed in the most efficient manner appropriate in the circumstances. The Court is directed to determine the most appropriate process for reaching an expeditious and just conclusion of the case in the circumstances. A new Motion to Change Endorsement form is available here. Parties are encouraged to provide a draft Motion to Change Endorsement form with their materials for the first judicial conference to obtain early direction regarding the most appropriate process for the case.…

Ontario Superior Court of JusticeSuperior Court of Justice — Central West

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Binding law / official textEast Region Practice Direction

Part 3 — : Family Proceedings

A. Introduction This Part identifies scheduling and administrative changes to facilitate more expeditious and efficient litigation under the Family Law Rules . Unless otherwise stated, this Part applies to all family proceedings. A reference in this part to a “rule” or the “rules” is a reference to the Family Law Rules . B. Family Motions Any motion that requires 60 minutes or less (for Ottawa 90 min or less) for all parties to argue is treated as a regular motion. All regular motions will be heard on the assigned motions court day for each respective county in the East Region commencing at 10:00 a.m. unless otherwise ordered by the court. East Region Court Schedules | Superior Court of Justice Confirmation forms for all family motions must be filed and uploaded no later than 2 p.m three (3) business days prior to the event Where no Form 14C Confirmation of Motion or Form 17 Confirmation of Conference has been filed by any party, the conference or motion will be not be heard on that day. Costs may also be ordered against a party who has not filed a Confirmation…

Ontario Superior Court of JusticeSuperior Court of Justice — East

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Binding law / official textSouthwest Region Practice Direction

Part 5 — : Family Proceedings

A. Introduction This Part identifies scheduling and administrative changes to facilitate more expeditious and efficient litigation under the Family Law Rules . Unless otherwise stated, this Part applies to all family proceedings, including those in the Unified Family Court – London and St. Thomas. A reference in this part to a “rule” or the “rules” is a reference to the Family Law Rules . B. Family Motions Any motion that requires 60 minutes or less for all parties to argue is treated as a regular motion. All regular motions will be heard on the assigned motions court day for each respective county in the Southwest Region commencing at 10:00 a.m. unless otherwise ordered by the court. All motions requiring more than one hour to argue will require a special appointment. Paragraphs 37-43 relating to special appointments in civil cases also apply to special appointments in family cases, including the requirements for the filing of factums. C. 14B Motions Form 14B motions are governed by Part I of the Consolidated Provincial Practice Direction.…

Ontario Superior Court of JusticeSuperior Court of Justice — Southwest

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Binding law / official textCentral West Region Practice Direction

Part 4 — – FAMILY PROCEEDINGS

Counsel and parties must comply with the Consolidated Provincial Practice Direction for Family Proceedings . A. Mediation and other Court-Connected Resources Parties should consider the use of processes that facilitate early resolution of parenting and financial disputes. These include: Local family law, separation and divorce resources : Litigants are encouraged to access parenting education programs, counselling services, supervised contact/parenting time , parenting coordination and other related services. Information about these services is available through the Family Law Information Centres. Mandatory Information Programs (MIP): Parties are required to attend a MIP at an early stage of the proceeding with limited exceptions. Virtual MIPs are available in centres across Ontario. Information about how to register for the MIP is available through the Family Law Information Centres. Mediation : Affordable, Court-connected mediation services are available in connection with all SCJ centres. Contact information for local mediation service providers is available here .…

Ontario Superior Court of JusticeSuperior Court of Justice — Central West

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Related subjects:Conferences and required steps · Motions · Trial · Courts, filing and court services · Rules and legislation