It's hard enough when a family breaks up; however, when one person lives in a different province, territory or country, a whole new set of challenges occur.

Ontario has formal arrangements with all Canadian provinces and territories, the United States and many other countries to enforce each other's family support orders. These are called "reciprocating jurisdictions". These jurisdictions have support laws that are similar to Ontario's.

If the other person lives in a reciprocating jurisdiction, you can usually without having to travel to that area,

• get a support order,
• change an existing support order, or
• enforce a support order.

The person in the reciprocating jurisdiction can do the same.

About the Interjurisdictional Support Orders Act, 2002

All Canadian provinces and territories, with the exception of Quebec, have passed a uniform statute to streamline the process of obtaining and varying support orders involving Ontarians and parties who live in reciprocating jurisdictions. In Ontario, this statute is called the Interjurisdictional Support Orders Act, 2002 (ISO Act for short).

For example, a person living in Ontario can start the application here. The order can be made, changed or enforced in the province, territory, state or country where the other person lives.

The person (or applicant) who wants to get (or change) a support order fills out a set of application forms. The forms ask for all the information that would normally be included in a court hearing. This gives the judge all the facts needed to make a decision.

The sworn forms package is then sent to:

• the reciprocity office in the 'home' province (for example, if the person filling out the forms (the applicant) lives in Ontario, the forms are sent to the Interjurisdictional Support Orders Unit (ISO Unit) of the Ontario Family Responsibility Office), then
• the ISO Unit forwards the forms to the jurisdiction where the other person (or respondent) lives.

A sworn document means that the form(s) must be signed under oath before a Commissioner of Oaths or Notary Public. Most reciprocating jurisdictions will accept forms that have been sworn before a Commissioner of Oaths; however, some reciprocating jurisdictions require that ISO documents be sworn before a Notary Public.

The court hearing is held in the respondent's jurisdiction. The respondent goes to court and files a matching set of forms. The Judge should then have a full picture of the family situation and can make an order or change an existing one.

If the other person does not live in a reciprocating jurisdiction and you want to make a support order or change an existing support order you will need to talk to a lawyer about your options.

 

Learn More List of reciprocating jurisdictions: Canada United States International Forms required to make or vary a support order under the Interjurisdictional Support Orders Act, 2002 Forms required to enforce a support order under the Interjurisdictional Support Orders Act, 2002 Frequently asked questions about the Interjurisdictional Support Orders Act, 2002