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The Divorce Court Process and Timeline

By Neta, founder of SortMyDivorce · 8 guides

THE SHORT ANSWER

Most divorces settle, and the court process is the frame that pushes them there. Knowing the order of the steps is most of what makes the waiting bearable.

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Conferences, discovery, and the shape of the timeline. Use the deadline tracker — free, no signup, nothing leaves your device.

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What Happens at a Case Conference (Ontario)

The eleven purposes set out in Rule 17(4), what the judge is actually trying to achieve, how to prepare, and what a case conference is not.

The Divorce Timeline, Stage by Stage

What actually happens, in order, from the day you separate to the day your divorce is finalized: separation, filing, disclosure, negotiation, and resolution.

How Long Does Divorce Take?

A realistic look at divorce timelines: how long the process generally takes overall, what happens after filing, and how long it takes to reach a final.

Everything else in this section

Case Conference Brief in Ontario (Form 17A): What Goes In

The five parts of Form 17A, the six-day and four-day service rule, the 60-day financial statement refresh, and the 2 pm confirmation deadline.

How Long Does a Contested Divorce Take?

How long a contested divorce takes in Canada and the United States, stage by stage — filing, disclosure, negotiation and trial

Questioning, Discovery and Depositions Explained

Three jurisdictions, three words, one process. What questioning, examination for discovery and depositions are, where each term is used, and what to expect.

The Biggest Mistakes to Avoid in a Contested Divorce

The costliest mistakes in a contested divorce in Canada and the US — incomplete disclosure, missed deadlines, unilateral action — and how to avoid each.

The Divorce Discovery Process, Step by Step (US)

Interrogatories, requests for production, requests for admission and depositions — what each one is, what it costs you, and how to handle it.

Other sections

Deciding, and telling themPreparing and getting organisedA letter or a deadline just arrivedMoney, property and disclosure

These guides are general information, not legal advice. Laws change and differ by jurisdiction — confirm specifics with a local family lawyer or your court's official website.

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