Ontario general information. Sources checked 4 October 2026.
A case conference is an opportunity to focus the issues in a family case, discuss possible resolution and address the information and steps still needed. Preparation is more useful when it identifies the specific decisions and documents requiring attention, rather than repeating the entire relationship history.
Confirm the event and instructions
Keep the conference notice, court file number, existing orders and recent directions together. Confirm the court, event type, date, attendance method and any instructions about documents. A case conference, settlement conference and trial management conference have different purposes and may require different materials. Check the instructions for the event actually scheduled.
Ontario's court guide explains that a case conference can address settlement, agreed and disputed issues, disclosure and next steps. A judge may make certain orders during a conference. Preparing an issue list does not establish what order will be made. Ontario: required steps in family court and steps to attending a conference.
Make an issue map
Use a separate heading for each subject the conference needs to address, such as parenting, support, property or missing disclosure. Under each heading, record:
- What appears agreed, and where that agreement is recorded.
- What remains disputed or unclear.
- The proposal or next step you want advice about.
- The document, figure or dated event that helps explain the issue.
Keep a current order separate from a new proposal. Use a short factual chronology where timing matters. Identify the other party's position accurately if it is known, and mark it as unknown if it is not. The parenting-communications chronology guide can help organize a focused timeline.
Connect the issues to the necessary records
Create an index of documents relevant to the issues, showing the date, subject and whether each item is available or missing. Keep originals intact. For a financial question, identify the record supporting the figure and any information that has changed. For a parenting question, connect the concern to the child's routine or a specific event.
A working folder for advice is different from the material the court requires. Ask which brief, updated financial information and supporting documents are needed, and what should be served or filed. Keep a missing-disclosure list with the period requested and the relevant correspondence. The financial-disclosure preparation guide provides broader organizing guidance.
Check the procedural and participation steps
Serving documents, filing them and confirming attendance are separate tasks described in Ontario's conference guide. Check the current rules, applicable practice directions and orders for your case. Write down who will handle each task and how completion will be confirmed. This guide does not select forms, calculate a deadline or provide a complete filing checklist.
Raise safety concerns or orders restricting contact before planning any discussion with the other party. Ask about an appropriate process rather than approaching someone to create evidence or agreement. Identify interpreter, disability-related or other participation needs early and ask the court about arrangements. For a remote event, confirm the joining instructions and plan a private place to participate.
Prepare for the discussion and follow-up
Bring a short list of the issues you want to discuss and the questions still requiring advice. Know which proposals you want to explore and which terms you do not yet understand. Ask about the treatment of settlement discussions and conference documents before circulating them or relying on them elsewhere.
After the event, keep any endorsement or order with your records. Identify the directions, next dates and outstanding tasks from the actual documents. Clarify uncertainty instead of relying only on memory. The existing-order review guide helps organize the document history.
See Divorce & Separation for the firm's related practice information. To ask whether the firm can assist, contact the office and identify the conference date. An inquiry does not confirm representation, secure an adjournment or change a deadline.
Keep court documents, children's details and personal records out of public comments. Ask about document-transfer instructions before sending sensitive material. General information for Ontario; not advice about the conduct or outcome of your conference.