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Revive Law offers fully remote family law services across Ontario, Canada — so location is no barrier. You don't need to search by neighbourhood. Book a consultation online from anywhere in the province.

Family law in Ontario is governed by the Divorce Act (Canada) — for married couples dealing with parenting, child, and spousal support — and the Family Law Act (Ontario), which covers property division for married spouses, as well as child and spousal support between common-law partners. The Children's Law Reform Act governs parenting time and decision-making for children of unmarried couples.

Revive Law charges an hourly fee for most cases. The total cost will depend on the complexity of your matter and the time it takes to finalize it. Revive Law believes in transparent communication about costs from day one. Settlement-focused approaches like mediation and collaborative practice often cost significantly less than litigation. Book a consultation to discuss your situation and have a better understanding of the options available and potential costs.

You are not legally required to have a lawyer, but having one protects your rights and ensures agreements are legally sound and enforceable. Even in uncontested divorces, a lawyer can review your separation agreement to confirm it is fair and compliant with Ontario law before you sign anything. Saving money now can bring significant costs in the future to dispute a poorly prepared agreement.

The divorce itself is a court order dissolving the marriage. In Ontario, this can be obtained through a Simple/Joint Divorce Application. The time to obtain it depends on the specific courthouse - we often see waits between 4 and 12 months. The divorce alone does not deal with issues such as parenting, child and spousal support, and property division. For that, if the parties are in agreement, you need a Separation Agreement. The timeline will depend on how long it takes to negotiate the agreement. If the parties are not willing to negotiate, you need a General Application to obtain specific court orders. Depending on how far the litigation process goes, it takes between a year to a few years to conclude. Mediation and collaborative practice typically resolve matters faster than court — often within weeks to a few months of starting the process.

In mediation, a neutral mediator facilitates dialogue between both parties. In collaborative practice, each party has their own trained collaborative lawyer, and a team of financial and mental health professionals may also be involved. Both approaches aim to resolve matters without court. Revive Law offers both — read more at revivelaw.ca/services.