Ontario Court of Justice Family Courts in Toronto

The Ontario Court of Justice hears family cases in Toronto at two courthouses: 47 Sheppard Avenue East and 311 Jarvis Street. Under a court practice direction, new family cases started on or after September 1, 2024 must be filed at the courthouse assigned to your provincial electoral district. This court handles child support, spousal support under the Family Law Act, and parenting cases, but not divorce or property claims.

The two Ontario Court of Justice family courthouses in Toronto

Toronto has two family courts: the Superior Court of Justice, at 361 University Avenue, and the Ontario Court of Justice, which sits at two family courthouses. This page covers the Ontario Court of Justice. For the overall picture of which Toronto court hears which case, see our Toronto family court guide. For divorce and property cases, see the Superior Court of Justice family court in Toronto.

Courthouse	Address	Hours (court offices)	Notes from the official listings
47 Sheppard	47 Sheppard Avenue East, Toronto, ON M2N 5N1	Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.	Listed for Ontario Court of Justice family matters and Small Claims Court; family telephone 416-326-3592
311 Jarvis	311 Jarvis Street, Toronto, ON M5B 2C4	Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.	Named in the Ontario Court of Justice practice direction as a family courthouse for new cases from listed districts

Which courthouse your case belongs in

The Ontario Court of Justice issued a practice direction (June 2024) creating temporary boundaries for family cases at the two Toronto courthouses. Its key rules:

New cases follow electoral districts. Beginning on September 1, 2024, all new family cases shall be started at 47 Sheppard or 311 Jarvis according to provincial electoral district boundaries. You find your district by entering your postal code on the Elections Ontario website.
47 Sheppard districts include Etobicoke North, York South Weston, Humber River Black Creek, York Centre, Willowdale, Eglinton Lawrence, Don Valley North, Don Valley West, Don Valley East, and the Scarborough North, Agincourt, Rouge Park, Centre and Guildwood districts.
311 Jarvis districts include Etobicoke Centre, Etobicoke Lakeshore, Parkdale High Park, Davenport, Toronto St. Paul's, University Rosedale, Spadina Fort York, Toronto Centre, Toronto Danforth, Beaches East York and Scarborough Southwest.
Older cases stay put. Cases started before September 1, 2024 can continue at 47 Sheppard. Status review applications, motions to change and contempt motions related to an earlier case and started after September 1, 2024 continue at 47 Sheppard.
Who it applies to. The direction applies to parties in domestic family law cases, to child protection litigants, and to institutional litigants such as the Children's Aid Society of Toronto, the Catholic Children's Aid Society of Toronto, Ontario Works, the Family Responsibility Office and the Office of the Children's Lawyer. It does not apply to Native Child and Family Services and Jewish Child and Family Services cases.

The Ontario government's court location pages for both courthouses repeat this direction and ask people to make sure they file at the correct family courthouse. Because the direction describes the boundaries as temporary, check the current version before filing.

What the Ontario Court of Justice can and cannot decide

The Ontario Court of Justice hears many support and parenting cases, but its powers are narrower than the Superior Court's.

Child support. Yes, under the Family Law Act and the child support guidelines; see how child support is calculated.
Parenting. Yes, decision-making responsibility, parenting time and contact under the Children's Law Reform Act; see decision-making responsibility and parenting time. The test the court applies is explained in how courts decide a child's best interests.
Spousal support under the Family Law Act. Yes, but the court cannot order a lump sum, a property transfer, life insurance or pension beneficiary designations, or security, except for necessities or to prevent a dependant becoming a public charge (Family Law Act, s. 34(2)).
Divorce. No. The Divorce Act names the Superior Court of Justice as the court for Ontario.
Property and the matrimonial home. No. The property and matrimonial home parts of the Family Law Act exclude the Ontario Court of Justice (ss. 4(1), 17).
Contempt. In addition to its other contempt powers, the court may fine up to $5,000 or imprison up to 90 days for wilful contempt of its orders under the Children's Law Reform Act (s. 38(1)); see when a parenting order is not followed.

First steps in a family case at this court

The Family Law Rules apply in the Ontario Court of Justice as they do in the Superior Court, so the early steps look similar at 47 Sheppard and 311 Jarvis.

Application and evidence. A parenting application must include an affidavit with the applicant's proposed plan for the child and other information relevant to the child's best interests (Children's Law Reform Act, s. 21(4)). A support claim needs a sworn financial statement and the income documents the child support guidelines require.
Mandatory Information Program. In most cases about parenting or support, the parties attend the program early in the case (r. 8.1), unless an exception applies, such as a case proceeding on consent.
Case conference. Its purposes include exploring settlement, identifying the issues in dispute, ensuring disclosure of the financial information needed to resolve support, and setting a timetable (r. 17(4)). Motions usually wait until after it (r. 14(4)).
Free help. Family Law Information Centres give free information about court processes and refer people to court-connected mediation, and Legal Aid Ontario duty counsel are available at courthouses on the day of a family proceeding.

Preparing well for the first conference is usually the best investment of time in the whole case. A clear proposal, complete disclosure and a realistic parenting plan give the judge something to work with and often lead to a temporary or final agreement on the day.

What changes the answer

Your postal code. It decides 47 Sheppard or 311 Jarvis for a new case.
Whether there is an earlier case. Motions to change, status reviews and contempt motions tied to an earlier case continue at 47 Sheppard.
The remedies you need. Divorce, property, the matrimonial home or a lump sum point to the Superior Court instead.
Urgency. Urgent support or parenting issues may justify a motion before the first conference (Family Law Rules, r. 14(4.2)); see support before the case is decided.
Enforcement. Support orders are enforced by the Family Responsibility Office, and a payor facing a licence suspension can ask the court for a refraining order before the deadline; see what happens if support is not paid.
Moves. A parent's proposed relocation has its own notice and objection rules; see moving with a child after separation.

A worked example

For example, imagine an unmarried parent in Toronto who wants a child support order and a parenting schedule for their four-year-old. There is no divorce and no property claim, so the Ontario Court of Justice can hear the case. The parent enters their postal code on the Elections Ontario site, and the look-up shows the Willowdale district, which the practice direction assigns to 47 Sheppard. They start the case there.

Now imagine a parent whose postal code look-up shows the University Rosedale district, starting a new parenting case. Under the direction, that case would start at 311 Jarvis. If either parent later needed an equalization payment or a divorce, those claims would belong in the Superior Court. This example is hypothetical.

Common mistakes with the Toronto Ontario Court of Justice

Filing at the wrong courthouse. Check your electoral district before you file a new case.
Starting a property claim here. Property and matrimonial home claims cannot be decided by this court.
Asking for a lump sum spousal support award. The Ontario Court of Justice is limited in what it can order (s. 34(2)).
Filing a motion to change at the new courthouse. Motions to change tied to an earlier case continue at 47 Sheppard.
Skipping the information program. Most parties in support and parenting cases must attend the Mandatory Information Program early (Family Law Rules, r. 8.1).
Not asking for accommodation in time. Each courthouse has an accessibility coordinator; contact them as early as possible.

What to do this week

Look up your provincial electoral district using your postal code.
Check the current Ontario Court of Justice practice direction for the courthouse assigned to that district.
Confirm your claims fit this court: support and parenting, without divorce or property.
Gather income documents and a proposed parenting plan.
Find any earlier court file number if you are changing an existing order.
Book a free consultation with us to choose the right court and prepare the first filing.

Frequently asked questions

Can I choose which Toronto courthouse to use?

For a new family case, the practice direction assigns the courthouse by provincial electoral district. Cases started before September 1, 2024, and later motions related to them, continue at 47 Sheppard.

Is 311 Jarvis still a family courthouse?

The Ontario Court of Justice practice direction names 311 Jarvis Street as one of the two courthouses for new family cases. Check the current direction and the court's location page before filing, since the boundaries are described as temporary.

Can I get a divorce at 47 Sheppard?

No. Divorces are decided by the Superior Court of Justice, which hears Toronto family cases at 361 University Avenue.

Does the court help people without lawyers?

Family Law Information Centres provide free information and referrals, and Legal Aid Ontario duty counsel are available at courthouses on the day of a family proceeding to give advice, according to the Ontario government.

What about child protection cases?

Child protection cases are also heard by the Ontario Court of Justice, and the practice direction applies to them too, with listed exceptions. Our firm does not handle child protection matters.

Where is the Family Responsibility Office?

The Family Responsibility Office is a provincial program, not a courthouse office. Its Toronto telephone number is 416-326-1817, according to the Ontario government's enforcement page.

Can a support order from this court be changed later?

Yes. A Family Law Act support order can be varied on a material change in circumstances (s. 37), and under the practice direction a motion to change related to an earlier case continues at 47 Sheppard.

What to expect at the Ontario Court of Justice family courts in Toronto