How long does a divorce in Ontario take?

What is a Contested Divorce?

A contested divorce occurs when partners disagree on some, or all, of the divorce issues such as division of assets, child support, parenting schedules, etc. These types of separations usually end up in court, with a judge having to make decisions for the parties. These divorces usually take anywhere from 1 year to several years to finalize. Due to the current backlog of family court cases as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, the average length of time for a case to go through the family courts is much longer than it was before the pandemic.

What is an Uncontested Divorce?

An uncontested divorce happens when partners agree on the key issues and have signed a separation agreement. Even if the parties don’t agree on all of the issues of their separation, a skilled and trained mediator can help couples to reach a resolution on the issues in disagreement. Once all key issues have been settled through a separation agreement, the timeline to finalize an uncontested divorce is typically 4-6 months.

Once an order for divorce has been issued, It takes a minimum of 31 days for the divorce to take effect.

It is important to note that:

a couple needs to be separated for at least 1 year (unless there is adultery or cruelty involved)

the courts will most likely reject your request for a divorce if reasonable parenting arrangements and child support have not been adequately addressed.

Mediation can work for both types of divorce as long as each partner is committed to the process. If you and your partner have decided to separate but disagree on some key issues, mediation can help you overcome obstacles and reach a separation agreement faster and at a fraction of the cost of hiring divorce attorneys.

Schedule your free 20 minute exploratory session to find out if mediation is right for your situation.

Jennifer Curry, ACCFm

Jennifer Curry has worked in the social services field for nearly two decades and witnessed firsthand how divorce affects families across Ontario. She understands that financial disputes are among the most significant obstacles couples must face when reaching agreements and for this reason, she has acquired extensive training in financial analysis to set herself apart from other mediators.

With this specialized knowledge, Jennifer can help couples come together and create amicable solutions for their separation.

What Our Clients Are Saying

GTA Mediation

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Jessica Harcourt

GTA Family Mediation and Jennifer Curry have been a huge blessing to my family. It was important to me that we got through the separation without letting things get ugly and Jennifer really supported both of us to make sure that happened and that we can still fairly happily co-parent together. Doing our separation with GTA Mediation was way less stressful, less time consuming and significantly less money than both of us hiring lawyers and going the traditional route.

Rosi Martj

Jennifer is nothing but caring, professional and hardworking. She has nothing but the best outcome in mind for her clients and you can tell she cares deeply about her work!

Shari G

Jennifer is a kind hearted, compassionate individual who cares about her clients and their needs. She knows her stuff and does her best to navigate a difficult situation to the satisfaction and betterment of all involved.

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At GTA Mediation, we provide you with the resources and support to navigate through separation and divorce in Ontario so that everyone involved can achieve a successful outcome.