How to Represent Yourself
in Family Court

Family court requires patience, documentation, and preparation. Consider mediation or negotiation before starting court proceedings. Understanding the process and your options will help you make the best decision for your situation.

This tells the court what orders you are asking for. File an Application (Form 8) to begin your family court case. This is the first document you file and it outlines the issues and the orders you are seeking. If you are claiming support or property, you must also file a Financial Statement (Form 13 or 13.1). If you are claiming parenting time or decision-making responsibility, you must include a Parenting Affidavit (Form 35.1) — the court will not accept your Application without it.

If you are served with an Application, you have 30 days to file an Answer. Respond to the claims made and outline your own position on the issues. You will also need to file a Financial Statement and Form 35.1 (if applicable) with your Answer. If no Answer is filed, the applicant may seek a default order.

Optional: respond to new claims raised in the Answer. If the other party raised new issues in their Answer, you can file a Reply to address those claims.

Confirm documents are filed and served properly. The court verifies all paperwork is in order and sets future dates for your case. You will need an Affidavit of Service (Form 6B) to prove the other party was properly served. Note: Both parties must attend the Mandatory Information Program (MIP) — a free session explaining the court process — before the first court appearance or case conference.

A meeting with a judge to identify issues and explore settlement. The Case Conference is your first opportunity to discuss the case with a judge and try to narrow the issues in dispute. This is a mandatory gateway — no motions for temporary orders can be filed until a Case Conference has been completed (with limited exceptions for urgent or emergency situations).

A focused attempt to settle all or part of your case before trial. The judge may make recommendations and help both parties find common ground to resolve issues without going to trial.

Final conference before trial to organize evidence and witnesses. This is the last step before trial where the court ensures both parties are prepared and all procedural requirements are met.

If settlement is not reached, your case goes to trial. Both parties present evidence and arguments, and the judge makes a final decision. Many cases settle at earlier stages — trial is a last resort, not an inevitability.