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Family Law Rules: Rule 42- Appointment of family case manager in the family court of the Superior Court of Justice in Ottawa

Published: December 9, 2010

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Family Law Rules: Rule 42- Appointment of family case manager in the family court of the Superior Court of Justice in Ottawa

SCOPE

42. (1) This rule applies to cases in the Family Court of the Superior Court of Justice in the City of Ottawa if the cases relate to matters under the following Acts:

1. The Child and Family Services Act, subject to subrule (6).

2. The Children’s Law Reform Act.

3. The Divorce Act (Canada).

4. The Family Law Act.

5. The Family Responsibility and Support Arrears Enforcement Act, 1996. O. Reg. 120/07, s. 1.

PURPOSE

(2) The purpose of this rule is to promote the active management, in accordance with subrule 2 (5), of cases to which this rule applies by conferring specified family law jurisdiction on a Family Case Manager. O. Reg. 120/07, s. 1.

DEFINITION

(3) In this rule,
“Family Case Manager” means a person appointed under section 86.1 of the Courts of Justice Act by the Lieutenant Governor in Council as a case management master who is assigned to manage cases for the purposes of this rule. O. Reg. 120/07, s. 1.

FAMILY CASE MANAGER, POWERS AND DUTIES

(4) In a case to which this rule applies,

(a) the Family Case Manager may only exercise the powers and carry out the duties and functions that are specified in this rule; and

(b) the exercise of those powers and the performance of those duties and functions are subject to the restrictions specified in subrules (5) and (6). O. Reg. 120/07, s. 1.

NO JURISDICTION

(5) The Family Case Manager has no jurisdiction in respect of,

(a) a power, duty or function that is conferred exclusively on a judge of a superior court by law or expressly on a judge by an Act;

(b) a case involving a special party;

(c) the determination of a right or interest of a party in real property; or

(d) the making of an order or hearing of a motion for an order,
(i) to change, set aside, stay or confirm an order of a judge,
(ii) to find a person in contempt of court,
(iii) to restrain the liberty of a person, including an order for imprisonment, a warrant for arrest or a warrant of committal,
(iv) to dismiss all or part of a party’s case for a wilful failure by the party to follow these rules or obey an order in the case or a related case, if the Family Responsibility and Support Arrears Enforcement Act, 1996 applies to the party’s case,
(v) to split a divorce from other issues in a case under subrule 12 (6),
(vi) to request the Children’s Lawyer to act in accordance with subsection 89 (3.1) or 112 (2) of the Courts of Justice Act, or
(vii) to grant summary judgment. O. Reg. 120/07, s. 1.

LIMITED JURISDICTION, CHILD AND FAMILY SERVICES ACT

(6) With respect to cases under the Child and Family Services Act,

(a) the Family Case Manager has jurisdiction only with respect to Part III of that Act (child protection case); and

(b) the jurisdiction of the Family Case Manager with respect to cases under Part III of that Act is not as broad as it is with respect to cases under the other Acts to which this rule applies but is subject to such further limitations as are specified in this rule. O. Reg. 120/07, s. 1.

MOTIONS UNDER RULE 14

(7) The Family Case Manager may hear a motion that may be made under rule 14 and, on such a motion, may exercise only the following powers:

1. With respect to cases under an Act to which this rule applies other than the Child and Family Services Act, any power described in rule 14 other than a power described in subrule 14 (21).

2. With respect to cases under Part III of the Child and Family Services Act, any power described in rule 14 other than a power described in subrule 14 (21), (22) or (23). O. Reg. 120/07, s. 1.

ORDERS ON MOTION UNDER RULE 14

(8) If a motion under rule 14 is made in a case under an Act to which this rule applies other than the Child and Family Services Act, the Family Case Manager may make only the following orders:

1. An order under rules 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 18, 19 and 20.

2. An order for costs under rule 24 relating to a step in the case that the Family Case Manager dealt with.

3. An order under rule 25 relating to an order made by the Family Case Manager.

4. An order to change a temporary order made by the Family Case Manager.

5. An order under section 10 (Leave for blood tests and DNA tests) of the Children’s Law Reform Act.

6. A temporary order for or relating to custody of or access to a child under section 21, 23, 25, 28, 29, 30, 32, 34, 39 or 40 of the Children’s Law Reform Act.

7. A temporary order for custody of or access to a child under section 16 of the Divorce Act (Canada).

8. An order appointing a mediator under section 31 of the Children’s Law Reform Act or section 3 (Mediation) of the Family Law Act.

9. A temporary order for or relating to support under section 33, clause 34 (1) (a), (e), (f), (g) or (h), subsection 34 (5) or section 37, 42 or 47 of the Family Law Act.

10. A temporary order for support under section 15.1 (Child support order) or 15.2 (Spousal support order) of the Divorce Act (Canada).

11. A temporary order under section 40 of the Family Law Act.

12. A temporary order dealing with property other than real property.

13. A support deduction order under section 10 (Support deduction orders to be made) of the Family Responsibility and Support Arrears Enforcement Act, 1996.

14. An order limiting or suspending a support deduction order.

15. An order under section 8 (Director to cease enforcement, termination of support obligation) of the Family Responsibility and Support Arrears Enforcement Act, 1996 that terminates a support obligation or orders repayment from a person who received support.

16. An order that is necessary and incidental to the power to make a temporary order that is within the jurisdiction of the Family Case Manager. O. Reg. 120/07, s. 1.

SAME, CHILD AND FAMILY SERVICES ACT

(9) If a motion under rule 14 is made in a case under the Child and Family Services Act, the Family Case Manager may make only the following orders:

1. An order under subrule 3 (5) (order to lengthen or shorten time), if the motion is made on consent.

2. An order under rule 5 (where a case starts and is to be heard), if the motion is unopposed or made on consent.

3. An order under rule 6 (service of documents).

4. An order under subrule 7 (5) (adding a party), if the motion is unopposed or made on consent.

5. An order under section 39 (parties and notice) or under subsection 48 (3) (transfer of a proceeding) of the Child and Family Services Act, if the motion is unopposed or made on consent.

6. A finding that there is no person who should be presumed to be, or recognized in law as, the father of a child under section 8 of the Children’s Law Reform Act.

7. An order granting an adjournment, if the motion is made on consent. O. Reg. 120/07, s. 1.

TEMPORARY ORDER TO BE CONTINUED

(10) An order for adjournment made under paragraph 7 of subrule (9) in a child protection case shall provide for the continuation of any temporary order made under subsection 51 (2) (custody during adjournment) of the Child and Family Services Act that applies in respect of the case being adjourned. O. Reg. 120/07, s. 1.

(11) Revoked: O. Reg. 151/08, s. 9.

CONFERENCES

(12) Subject to subrule (13), the Family Case Manager may conduct a case conference, settlement conference or trial management conference instead of a judge under rule 17. O. Reg. 120/07, s. 1.

SAME, CHILD AND FAMILY SERVICES ACT

(13) In a case under Part III of the Child and Family Services Act, the Family Case Manager shall not conduct a settlement conference without the consent of the parties and of the child’s representative. O. Reg. 120/07, s. 1.

APPLICATION OF RULE 17

(14) At a case conference, settlement conference or trial management conference conducted by the Family Case Manager, rule 17 applies subject to the following changes:

1. In a case to which this rule applies other than the Child and Family Services Act, the Family Case Manager may make any order described in rule 17 and, with respect to the temporary and final orders referred to in clause 17 (8) (b),
i. the only temporary or final orders that the Family Case Manager may make are those described in subrule (8) of this rule, and
ii. the Family Case Manager shall not make a final order unless the parties consent to the order.

2. In a case under Part III of the Child and Family Services Act, the Family Case Manager,
i. may make any order described in rule 17 other than an order under subrule 17 (18), and
ii. the only temporary or final orders that the Family Case Manager may make under clause 17 (8) (b) are those described in subrule (9) of this rule.

3. A party to the conference may not request that the conference be conducted by a judge under subrule 17 (9).

4. Despite clause 17 (10) (a), a case may be scheduled for trial if the Family Case Manager conducted a settlement conference. O. Reg. 120/07, s. 1.

ENFORCEMENT POWERS

(15) The Family Case Manager may exercise,

(a) any power that a court may exercise under rule 27 (requiring financial information) other than a power to order a person imprisoned under subrule 27 (6), (20) or (21); and

(b) the powers relating to garnishment orders set out in subrules 29 (5) and (19). O. Reg. 120/07, s. 1.

SENDING CASE TO JUDGE

(16) Despite anything to the contrary in this rule, the Family Case Manager may at any time order that a matter assigned to him or her be adjourned and sent to a judge. O. Reg. 120/07, s. 1.

APPEAL FROM TEMPORARY ORDER

(17) Subrules 38 (5) to (45) apply with necessary modifications to an appeal from a temporary order of the Family Case Manager. O. Reg. 120/07, s. 1.

APPEAL FROM FINAL ORDER

(18) Subrules 38 (1), (2) and (3) apply with necessary modifications to an appeal from a final order of the Family Case Manager. O. Reg. 120/07, s. 1.

REVOCATION

(19) This rule is revoked on June 30, 2012. O. Reg. 120/07, s. 1; O. Reg. 51/10, s. 1.

Written by Lisa Gelman

Senior Lawyer

Senior Lawyer Lisa Gelman has over 25 years of family law experience and founded Gelman & Associates to provide strategic legal counsel in family law matters concerning divorce, parenting, separation, and more.

Frequently Asked Questions - enforcement & modification orders

A restraining order in the context of family court is an order that prohibits the contact that one party can have with another. Based on the particulars of a given restraining order, it can prohibit direct and/or indirect contact, and require that the party against whom the restraining order has been taken out maintain a certain physical distance from the other party. In the family law context, a restraining order has to be requested by way of a motion brought at the court. The party seeking the order must provide affidavit evidence to substantiate the need for the restraining order. The party against whom the order is sought must likewise have an opportunity to argue his/her case, and to this end judges will usually ask that a motion for a restraining order be brought with notice to the other party.

If you believe that your restraining order is required immediately, you may bring an urgent, ex parte motion for same (ex parte means that the motion is brought without notice to the other party, who is not served with your motion materials and is not given notice that the motion will even be taking place). Because restraining orders can affect possession of the matrimonial home and parenting time, it is imperative that the party against whom the order is sought have the opportunity to make his or her own case. Accordingly, if a judge grants a restraining order brought on an urgent, ex parte motion, the judge will also order that the motion return in one week’s time so that the party against  whom the order has been granted may be  properly served with motions materials and  have an opportunity to defend the action.

Suppose one of the parents does not follow the court’s order. He or she may be called to court and explain why she wasn’t able to uphold the initial agreement. If his or her reason isn’t valid, the court may change the earlier deal, and it may favor the other parent.

Each province and territory in Canada has a maintenance enforcement program for family orders and agreements. Additionally, the federal government may refuse to issue a Canadian passport if the applicant is delinquent in child support payments. They also have the authority to garnish wages for the back payments owed. In the USA, the Office of Child Support Enforcement, which is part of the Administration for Children and Families in the Department of Health and Human Services, is now in charge of the federal child support enforcement program.

Ex parte motions provide an exemption to the principles of due process in emergencies by allowing you to petition the court without having to give notice or serve the other parties in your case. If the judge issues the ex parte order, it’s only for a limited time.

Yes, it is possible to change the initial terms of a separation agreement if you and your spouse agree to the changes and sign a written agreement to change the terms. If your spouse does not agree to change the terms, you can make a court application to change the separation agreement.

No matter what the circumstances surrounding your separation agreement are, our Toronto separation lawyers can help you make changes when you need to.

You can use this motion if you need to change your order. By filing this motion, you’re asking the court to change something in your final order. It would help if you showed that there has been a substantial change in circumstances since the last court order. You can’t file this motion just because you disagree with the order. You shouldn’t also file this motion too soon after the court releases the final order. If things have changed in your children’s lives, you can ask to modify the order based on those changes. Other samples you can change may include but not be limited to:

  • Spousal support
  • Decision-making issues for the children
  • Issues related to parenting time
  • Child support

If you deny court-approved parenting time, it could be a possibility. The court may find you in contempt. You may also have to compensate the other person for any lost parenting time or legal fees they had to pay to enforce the parenting arrangement.

If you get an order and want to change it, you first need to assess your relationship with the opposing party.
If you both agree, you can apply for a consent order and need not go to court. If you do not, you may seek help from mediators or counsellors who can help you talk things out. If you still do not agree after mediation, you will need to apply to the court to change the order.

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