Parenting After Divorce

Resources for Parents

Please note: until the proposed legislation is debated in Parliament and comes into force, the current Divorce Act applies with respect to parenting arrangements after divorce.

The following web sites provide resources for parents on the Divorce Act and other issues related to post-separation parenting arrangements.

• Frequently Asked Questions
• Resources for Children
• For Professionals
• Government Links
• Publications
• Non-governmental Organizations

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada help resolve my legal situation?
2. When does the Divorce Act apply?
3. What can I do if I can't afford a lawyer?
4. Who enforces custody and access orders?
5. Where can I find a family law mediator?
6. What are supervised access centres?
7. Who investigates parental child abduction?
8. What rights do I have as a grandparent who wants to see my grandchild?

Resources for Children

Resources for Children is a database of resource materials for children that includes books, workbooks, videos, web sites and games. It will be useful for parents and for professionals who work with children affected by separation or divorce.

What happens next? Information for kids about separation and divorce
The Department of Justice has a new publication for children between the ages of nine and twelve. This booklet can help children learn about family law, and can also help them realize it’s normal for them to have an emotional response to their parents’ separation.

For Professionals

Topics in Family Law: A Collection of Articles
This collection of articles, checklists and a bibliography, will provide practical guidance to lawyers, particularly on topics that they may not deal with on a regular basis. The articles address various family law issues that present unique complexities. The articles will help lawyers to advise their clients, so they can make decisions tailored to their children’s needs.

Spousal Support Advisory Guidelines
The Spousal Support Advisory Guidelines are informal guidelines to assist spouses, lawyers, mediators and judges determine the amount and duration of spousal support in typical cases. These voluntary guidelines are a practical tool designed to bring greater predictability to the determination of spousal support under the Divorce Act.(PDF Version )

SPOUSAL SUPPORT ADVISORY GUIDELINES: REPORT ON REVISIONS
This report highlights the key differences between the Spousal Support Advisory Guidelines: A Draft Proposal issued in 2005 and the final version of the Spousal Support Advisory Guidelines issued in 2008. (PDF Version )

Government Links

Inventory of Government-Based Family Justice Services (database)
This searchable database offers a listing of provincial and territorial family justice services* such as: mediation, parent education and information, family court services, support establishment and recalculation services, services for children, supervised access and support enforcement. (August 2006)
(*Note: The list of family justice services available in the province of Quebec is not yet available and will be added at a later date.)

Federal Child Support Guidelines Web Site
This site provides the latest information about the Federal Child Support Guidelines as well as publications for parents and professionals to help determine child support amounts.

Family Law Assistance Services Web Site
The Family Law Assistance Services Section of the Department of Justice Canada administers three programs:

• Family Orders and Agreement Enforcement Assistance Unit (FOAEA)
• Central Registry to Divorce Proceedings Unit (CRDP)
• Garnishment, Attachment and Pension Diversion Registry (GAPDA)

Provincial and Territorial Government Web Sites
A list of provincial and territorial government departments responsible for laws related to parenting after divorce.

Canada Child Tax Benefit (CCTB) Web Site
The Canada Child Tax Benefit is a tax-free monthly payment made to eligible families to help them with the cost of raising children under age 18.

• Divorce or separation—Which parent is eligible for the Canada Child Tax Benefit?

National Clearinghouse on Family Violence Web Site
The National Clearinghouse on Family Violence is a national resource centre for Canadians seeking information about violence within the family and looking for resources to address it.

Department of Justice Canada Family Violence Web Site
This site provides information on family violence in Canada and how the Department of Justice Canada is addressing the issue.

"our missing children" Web Site
The program "our missing children" operates Canada's National Clearinghouse for missing children. In this capacity, the unit is linked to all Canadian policy and related agencies through the Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC), U.S. police agencies through the National Crime Information Centre (NCIC), and most foreign police agencies through Interpol. Collectively, the partnership that forms "our missing children" provides a unique and powerful force in locating and recovering missing children.

Publications

Divorce Law: Questions and Answers
The Department of Justice Canada has published a booklet that provides basic information about the current divorce process in Canada as well as suggestions for obtaining more information with respect to family law issues (under the section More information). (PDF Version )

Because Life Goes On... Helping Children and Youth Live with Separation and Divorce: A Guide for Parents
This Health Canada publication is intended to reach out to Canadian families in need of information and resources to help their children to live through the process of separation and divorce. The booklet is also designed to assist professionals in such fields as social services, health, justice and education, in their work with children and their parents.(Audio Format, PDF Version )

International Child Abductions: A Manual for Parents
International parental child abductions are increasing, as are child custody issues in other countries. These are very complex matters.  This detailed manual, prepared by the Consular Affairs Bureau of the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, covers both abduction and custody issues.

Inventory of Government-Based Family Justice Services (report)
This report provides a general overview of family justice services across Canada along with a legislative overview of various family law issues such as: child custody and access, parenting, contact, the best interests of the child, child support, spousal and partner support, taxation of support and enforcement. Section 4, the Profiles of Jurisdictions, offers a listing of provincial and territorial family justice services*. (August 2006)
(*Note: The list of family justice services available in the province of Quebec is not yet available and will be added at a later date.)

Inventory of Government-Based Services that support the making and enforcement of Custody and Access decisions 
An inventory of provincial and territorial government programs that support the making and enforcement of custody and access decisions, this document is not intended to be a scientific or statistical study, nor an exhaustive list. It outlines the services available across Canada that are available to support post-separation parenting arrangements such as: parent-education; mediation; family-law information; legal aid; case management; custody and access assessments and supervised-access facilities. Locations, names and phone numbers of those who run the programs are provided but only programs or services that are in force, or have a 1999 implementation target date, are included. (January 2000)

Non-governmental Organizations

Family law information: Public Legal Education and Information
Family law information is available from the various provincial and territorial public legal education and information organizations across Canada.  These organizations offer legal information free of charge.

Family Mediation Canada
Family Mediation Canada is an interdisciplinary association of lawyers, social workers, human services and health care professionals, working together, creating a better way to provide for co-operative conflict resolution relating to separation and divorce, adoption, child welfare, wills and estates, parent/teen counselling, organizations, etc. It is dedicated to the promotion of mediation and other forms of non-adversarial resolution for family related conflict.

Canadian Mental Health Association
The Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) has branches in communities across Canada and offers web pages on Children and Family Break-up, Separation and Divorce and Suicide Prevention.

Family Service Canada
Founded in 1982, Family Service Canada is a not-for-profit, national voluntary organization representing the concerns of families and family serving agencies across Canada.

Kids Help Phone
Kids Help Phone is Canada's only toll-free, 24 hour, national bilingual telephone counselling service for children and youth.  It provide counselling services directly to children and youth between the ages of 4 and 19 years and help adults aged twenty and over find the counselling services they need.  Parents, teachers, and any other concerned adults are welcome to call for information and referral services. The telephone number is 1-800-668-6868.