Separation and divorce are major life changes. Your role as spouse or partner will end, but the role of parent continues. The Family Responsibility Office (FRO) is committed to treating everyone with fairness and respect. We want to work with you and your family to ensure that support responsibilities are met
The FRO will send you a registration package as soon as your support order or agreement filed with the Ontario courts is received. You must complete the forms in the registration package and return them to the FRO as soon as possible. The information that you provide helps us develop the most appropriate and effective enforcement strategy for your case.
If the support payor’s employer is known or they are independently making payments and there are no complications with enforcing payments, you can usually expect support payments to start arriving within 30 to 60 days of registration.
When the FRO receives a payment from the payor or the payor’s income source , we can send the payment to the recipient, usually within 24 to 48 hours.
Payment dates may vary. Support payors are required to make payments according to the court order or agreement. However, employers and other income sources are allowed to send support payment deductions according to their pay schedules, even when these dates do not coincide with the due date set out in the court order.
Also note that an income source cannot deduct the support payments from an employee’s pay before the support is due. This is why you do not receive payments until after the court-ordered due date.
You will receive your supports payments by direct deposit into your bank account so ensure that the direct deposit form in your filing package is completed.
Current information is essential for the FRO to enforce your case. Let us know immediately if:
- You move or change your telephone number(s).
- You change your name. You must send the FRO proof of the change (e.g. a birth or a marriage certificate, sworn affidavit or a court order).
- There are any changes to your court order, or the support obligation ends or changes.
- You have new information about the support payor such as a new address, telephone number or job. You should also inform us if you are aware of the support payor buying or selling property or a major asset (e.g. a house, car or boat), or opening a new business.
- You receive a payment directly from the payor. The payor must make all support payments through the FRO when your case is filed with us.
- There are any support payment arrears owing at the time of registration. We cannot send you any payments we have received for arrears owed to you before you filed with the FRO, until we have your completed Statement of Arrears form.