- Be sure to pay your support in full and on time, to avoid enforcement action.
- Make your support payments through the Family Responsibility Office (FRO). Do not pay the support recipient directly.
- Always include your case number and your first and last name on your payment and in all correspondence to the FRO.
- If your financial circumstances change, you may wish to contact a lawyer to find out what your options are. The FRO cannot change the amount of support you pay. Only the court can change your support order or domestic contract.
- If you fall behind on your support responsibilities you should contact the FRO to make payment arrangements. You will need to fill out a financial statement and Voluntary Arrears Payment Schedule (VAPS).
- You must keep your own records (pay stubs, copies of cancelled cheques, receipts). The FRO does not provide a year-end statement for income tax purposes.
- Advise the FRO of any changes to your name, address or income source as soon as possible to avoid file errors and possible enforcement action.
- If you believe that your support has ended, you should contact the FRO to discuss your options.
- If you need to change your support order you may want to seek legal advice from a lawyer. You can contact Legal Aid Ontario at 416-979-1446 or toll-free at 1-800-668-8258. You can also meet with duty counsel at the court or visit the Family Law Information Centre located in provincial courts across Ontario. For information on the nearest location, or to obtain Ontario Family Court Forms please go to www.ontariocourts.on.ca.
- If you need help finding a lawyer you can contact the Lawyer Referral Service, operated by the Law Society of Upper Canada, for a half-hour consultation ($6.00 charge for the telephone call), at 1-900-565-4577.
- For updated information on your case you can call the automated information line at 1-800-267-7263, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Have your FRO case number and Personal Identification Number (PIN) on hand.