CivilDocketKnowledge Centre
← Library
Official court procedure Official form

Form 1: Cover - Continuing Record

Ontario Court Services

Source sectionFamily Law Rules — Continuing Record — Form 1 — Cover - Continuing Record
Source checked2026-08-08
VersionVersion 2006-12-31
Related explanation
Process

The Continuing Record

Court: Ontario family courts — court-specific procedure may differ

The Continuing Record is the organized court record used in Ontario family proceedings and contains the documents that the rules require to be kept there.

The Continuing Record is the court’s organized record of the family case. It is divided into the parts required by the Family Law Rules and is used so the court and parties can locate pleadings, endorsements, orders and other filed material. It is not simply a personal binder of every document exchanged between the parties.

Which documents belong in the Continuing Record, and where they belong, is governed by Rule 9 and the prescribed Continuing Record documents. Court filing and Case Center requirements are separate: a document may have a place in the Continuing Record and may also need to be uploaded for a hearing if the court directs.

Source summary

What this source covers

Official Ontario family-law form or related court document: Cover - Continuing Record. Its use depends on the governing rule, the issues in the case and any applicable court directions.

Key points

What this is

Ontario Court Services lists this as Form 1, “Cover - Continuing Record”.

Current official version

The current English version is version dated 2006-12-31 and effective 2006-12-31.

How to use this form

Read the form together with the current Family Law Rules and any applicable court orders, notices and practice directions. The governing rule determines when the form is required and how it is used.

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

Open the official source ↗
Law and rules

Related official provisions

Rule 13 — (3.1) of the Family Law Rules addresses the documents that must be included with a party’s financial statement where child or spousal support has been sought. A party should provide an updated Certificate of Financial Disclosure (Form 13A) to the other party with this documentation.

If disclosure cannot be resolved prior to the case conference, the party seeking disclosure must include in their materials a list of the outstanding disclosure in accordance with Rule 13(11.01) of the Family Law Rules . The court may award costs pursuant to Rules 17(18) or 24(7) where a party has failed to comply with their disclosure obligations. Counsel and parties should address all disclosure issues in advance of the settlement conference. Any motions for disclosure must be heard in advance of the settlement conference. More information about financial statements and the documents that shall be exchanged to support a financial statement is available here . 1. Automatic Disclosure Orders Under Rule 8.0.1

Ontario Superior Court of JusticeSuperior Court of Justice — province-wide
Open official source ↗

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
Open official source ↗

Rule 8.0 — .1 of the Family Law Rules directs the court to issue an automatic order when certain claims are made in an Application, Motion to Change or Answer. This order requires parties to comply with their financial disclosure responsibilities.

The party who receives automatic order from the court must serve the order on every other party in the case according to Rule 8.0.1(5). A party who has not made all reasonable efforts to comply with their disclosure obligations in advance of the case conference may be responsible for the other party’s costs. Upon filing the originating materials, parties will receive a reminder to attend a Mandatory Information Program (Rule 8.1) and to provide an updated email address on all court documents.

Ontario Superior Court of JusticeSuperior Court of Justice — province-wide
Open official source ↗

Rule 1.3 — of the Family Law Rules requires a member of the public to give 10 days’ written notice to the parties before the member of the public may access a family court file involving:

Decision-making responsibility, parenting time or contact with respect to a child under the Divorce Act or Part III of the Children’s Law Reform Act ; Orders under Part I of the Children’s Law Reform Act (parentage); or International child abduction. The member of the public must also send notice to the Children’s Lawyer if the Children’s Lawyer is representing a child in the case or conducting an investigation for the court. After receiving notice, a party who wishes to restrict access to the file has 10 days to file a 14B motion. If such a motion is brought, court staff may refuse the requested access until the court decides the motion. Before the member of the public is granted access to the file, they must file an affidavit (Form 14A) confirming 1) the date on which they gave notice under Rule 1.3, to whom and by what method; and 2) that they have not been served with a motion for a restricted access order. The following persons are exempt from the notice requirement under Family Court Rule 1.3: A party or their counsel;…

Ontario Superior Court of JusticeSuperior Court of Justice — province-wide
Open official source ↗

Rule 57.01 — (6) of the Rules of Civil Procedure requires that, unless the parties have agreed on costs: “every party who intends to seek costs for that step shall give to every other party involved in the same step, and bring to the hearing, a costs outline (Form 57B) not exceeding three pages in length.”

This permits the presiding judge, where feasible, to summarily determine the issue of costs. The overriding principle is that “the court shall devise and adopt the simplest, least expensive, and most expeditious process for fixing costs…” Rule 57.01(7). C. Civil Case Conferences Counsel may request a civil conference with a Judge pursuant to Rule 50.13. A completed Civil Conference Request Form requesting a case conference before a Judge may be sent to CERcivilappointments@ontario.ca . These conferences are ONLY for procedural matters and will not last more than 30 minutes. The time limit will be strictly enforced. The conference may be by telephone or virtually, at the discretion of the Judge. The form must be fully completed, and the terms of the form complied with to be considered. NOTE: Rule 50.13 does not apply to actions governed by the Construction Act: O. Reg. 302/18, s. 10(9). A matter will not be added to the running list or be given a fixed date unless all motion material including responding and reply materials, facta, and compendiums have been filed. D.…

Ontario Superior Court of JusticeSuperior Court of Justice — Central East
Open official source ↗

Part 7 — : Binding JDR — Rule 43 of the Family Law Rules

Binding JDR is available in appropriate cases throughout the Central South Region. Please review Rule 43 of the Family Law Rules and the Consolidated Provincial Practice Direction for Family Proceedings for more information on Binding JDR and the forms that are required. Email Addresses to file Binding JDR Confirmations: Hamilton Family Court Trial Coordination Office: Hamilton.Family.Superior.Court@ontario.ca Kitchener Trial Coordination Office: Kitchener.Superior.Court@ontario.ca St. Catharines Trial Coordination Office: St.Catharines.Superior.Court@ontario.ca Welland Trial Coordination Office: Welland.Superior.Court@ontario.ca Brantford Trial Coordination Office: BrantfS@ontario.ca Cayuga Trial Coordination Office: Cayuga.Superior.Court@ontario.ca Simcoe Trial Coordination Office: Simcoe.Superior.Court@ontario.ca Help from Legal Aid Ontario: 1-800-668-8258 Lawyers across Ontario who provide unbundled legal services: www.familylawlss.ca

Ontario Superior Court of JusticeSuperior Court of Justice — Central South
Open official source ↗
Related subjects:Serve and file documents · Forms and documents · Courts, filing and court services
Further reading

Related rules, forms and explanations

Binding official sourceLaw / rule

O. Reg. 114/99: Family Law Rules

Official consolidated Ontario regulation governing procedure in family-law cases. Use the current rule text and applicable practice directions for procedural requirements.

Government of OntarioFull regulation and rule table of contentsSource checked 2026-08-08
Official court procedureOfficial form

A Self-Help Guide: How to complete Form 35.1: Affidavit (decision-making responsibility, parenting time, contact)

Official Ontario family-law form or related court document: A Self-Help Guide: How to complete Form 35.1: Affidavit (decision-making responsibility, parenting time, contact). Its use depends on the governing rule, the issues in the case and any applicable court directions.

Key points

What this is

Ontario Court Services lists this family-law document as “A Self-Help Guide: How to complete Form 35.1: Affidavit (decision-making responsibility, parenting time, contact)”.

How to use this form

Read the form together with the current Family Law Rules and any applicable court orders, notices and practice directions. The governing rule determines when the form is required and how it is used.

Ontario Court ServicesOther documents related to family law cases — A Self-Help Guide: How to complete Form 35.1: Affidavit (decision-making responsibility, parenting time, contact)Source checked 2026-08-08