If you have a family law issue, you can use:
- the Family Law Act, or
- the Divorce Act
to sort things out.
If you were married and want a divorce:
- you have to use the Divorce Act to apply for the divorce, but
- you can use the Family Law Act to sort out any other issues.
If you're not married but you're separating from someone you live with (you might call it being in a common-law relationship), you can use the Family Law Act to sort out all your issues.
If you're using the Divorce Act, you have to go to Supreme Court.
If you're using the Family Law Act, you can go to either Supreme Court or Provincial Court.
You have to go to Supreme Court if you need to divide property or debts.
You can go to either Supreme Court or Provincial Court to sort out:
- guardianship, parenting arrangements, or contact with a child,
- support, and
- family law protection orders.
See Do you need to go to Provincial (Family) Court or Supreme Court? for more information about the different courts.
Leila explains how she and her ex decided which court to take their family issues to in our story Which court to go to?
