Family case in Peel Region: what to expect at the Brampton courthouse

Family cases for Brampton and Mississauga are heard at the A. Grenville and William Davis Courthouse, 7755 Hurontario Street, Brampton. Peel is not a unified family court, so a divorce or property claim must go to the Superior Court of Justice, while parenting and support can also go to the Ontario Court of Justice. In the Superior Court, conferences are booked online, briefs have strict page limits, and a confirmation is due by 2 p.m. three days before each conference.

This page explains what is different about Peel. If you live in Toronto, our guide to which Toronto family court handles your case applies instead. York Region families use the unified court described in what to expect at the Newmarket family court. For the wider picture of ending a marriage, see our main page on divorce in Ontario.

Which court hears which family claim in Peel?

Ontario's Family Court Branch, the only court that can hear every type of family case, sits in 25 places, and Brampton is not one of them. Peel families therefore deal with the same split between two courts as Toronto families.

A case starts where a party lives, or, for parenting issues, where the child habitually lives (Family Law Rules, r. 5). A transfer of a family case from one judicial region to another must follow rule 5(8), so a family that has moved from Toronto to Mississauga with an open Toronto case must follow that rule to move it.

How does a Superior Court family case move in Brampton, step by step?

Once a case or settlement conference is scheduled, the practice direction allows only one adjournment, on consent, three days before the conference. The general rules behind these steps are in what happens after you start a family case, which applies across Ontario even though it is written for Toronto.

The settlement conference is where Brampton expects a case to be ready to settle. Besides the brief, the practice direction lists what must be filed: an up-to-date financial statement and certificate of financial disclosure if money is in issue, an updated parenting affidavit (Form 35.1) with any assessments or reports if parenting is in issue, support calculations for each year in dispute with a chart of proposed arrears, a comparison of net family property with a brief of contested values if equalization is in issue, an offer to settle under rule 18, and a draft order in Word. Settlement conferences are set well into the future so that motions, disclosure, an assessment or the involvement of the Office of the Children's Lawyer can be completed first. For the disclosure itself, see which financial statement to file and what to attach.

Which events are in person and which are virtual?

Motions to change, urgent motions and Triage Court

Brampton is one of the Dispute Resolution Officer locations listed by the province. Parties to a motion to change in Brampton must first attend a case conference with a Dispute Resolution Officer unless an order waives it, and those conferences can be booked only through Calendly, not by email or telephone. The Dispute Resolution Officer can then schedule a settlement conference or direct the parties to the trial coordinator. The motion must state whether it is brought under section 17 of the Divorce Act or section 37 of the Family Law Act, whether it seeks a review or a variation, and, for a variation, the material change in circumstances relied on. In a parenting motion to change, the parties must say whether child-focused evidence, such as an assessment or the involvement of the Office of the Children's Lawyer, is needed.

An urgent motion starts with a letter to the court explaining why the matter is urgent, what relief is sought and whether it is on notice, and if not, why. Long motions go through Triage Court, held virtually on Tuesday mornings, where a judge fixes a timetable. Brampton no longer schedules early case conferences. The regional practice direction also says binding judicial dispute resolution hearings under rule 43 will become available in Brampton in the fall of 2026.

What help is available in Peel?

• Family court office: 905-456-4700; court offices open 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., counter service 9 to 11 a.m. and 2 to 4 p.m., Monday to Friday. French-language services are available by phone and at the counter.
• Superior Court family scheduling: [email protected] for motions, conferences, Dispute Resolution Officer conferences and trials, and for confirmation forms.
• Legal Aid Ontario family duty counsel: Rooms 220 to 224 at 7755 Hurontario Street, (905) 595-2593.
• Family Law Information Centre and court-connected mediation: Peel Family Mediation Services, 7700 Hurontario Street, Unit 405, 905-453-7795 or 905-452-7367. Mediation is free on the day of a court hearing; other sessions may carry a fee based on income.
• Supervised parenting time: the Peel Region Supervised Access Centre serves Brampton and Mississauga, toll-free 1-866-243-9925. Our page on supervised parenting time explains how those visits work.
• Support for victims of domestic violence: the 24/7 Victim Support Line, 416-314-2447 in the Greater Toronto Area or 1-888-579-2888.

Court proceedings are in English or French. In a family case, the province provides an interpreter in another language, such as Persian, only with a fee waiver or a court order, so raise it early. Families with ties to Iran can read what a Persian-speaking family lawyer can do for an Iranian-Canadian family; the law it describes is the same in Peel.

What changes the answer?

• Where you and the children live. Peel cases start in Brampton; Toronto and York Region cases do not (r. 5).
• What you claim. A divorce or property claim requires the Superior Court; parenting and support alone can go to either court.
• Whether it is a motion to change. In the Superior Court, a conference with a Dispute Resolution Officer comes first.
• Urgency. Urgent requests are made in writing, with a letter explaining the urgency.
• How close your deadline is. Within five business days, email or counter filing may be accepted.
• Whether both sides agree on dates. Without agreement, either party may select a Calendly date, respecting the notice rules.

A worked example

For example, imagine a couple in Mississauga who separate after twelve years of marriage. The wife wants a divorce, child support and an equalization payment. Because divorce and property are involved, she files in the Superior Court in Brampton through the online portal. After service and the information program, her lawyer canvasses dates with the husband's lawyer and books a case conference through Calendly. Each side files a case conference brief of no more than eight pages, with a separate list of the disclosure still missing, and emails the confirmation to the trial office by 2 p.m. three days before. At the in-person conference, the judge sets a settlement conference date. If the husband later wants to change the support order after the trial, his first stop would be a virtual conference with a Dispute Resolution Officer. This is a hypothetical walk-through, not a prediction of any result.

What mistakes do people make in Brampton?

1. Filing a divorce or property claim in the Ontario Court of Justice, which cannot hear it.
2. Trying to book a Dispute Resolution Officer conference by phone or email. It is Calendly only.
3. Exceeding the page limits: 8 pages for a case conference brief, 12 for a settlement conference brief.
4. Missing the 2 p.m. confirmation deadline three days before, which cancels the conference.
5. Expecting an easy adjournment. Only one is allowed once a conference is scheduled, on consent, three days before.
6. Assuming Toronto's rules apply. Brampton is in the Central West Region, with its own practice direction.

What to do this week

1. List every claim you are making, to confirm whether you need the Superior Court.
2. Note where the children have lived and since when.
3. Gather income, property and debt documents for your financial statement.
4. Arrange certified translations of any documents in Persian.
5. If you need an interpreter, ask about a fee waiver.
6. Read our first-week separation checklist.

Frequently asked questions

Is Brampton a unified family court like Newmarket?

No. Ontario's list of Family Court Branch locations includes Newmarket but not Brampton, so Peel families use the Superior Court and the Ontario Court of Justice.

Can I file a simple or joint divorce online?

Yes. The regional practice direction says documents for a simple or joint divorce may be filed through the ministry's Family Claims Online portal, in accordance with the Family Law Rules.

Do I have to attend the settlement conference myself?

Yes. The Central West practice direction says all litigants must be present at the settlement conference.

Is there a fee to file?

Superior Court family filings carry court fees, which are payable when the document is submitted. People who qualify can ask for a fee waiver. Our guide to family law costs lists the fees and which claims are fee-free.

We live in Mississauga but married in Iran. Can we divorce in Brampton?

Yes, if either of you has been habitually resident in Ontario for at least a year. See divorcing in Ontario after marrying in Iran.

Where do Toronto and York Region families go?

Toronto families use 361 University Avenue for divorce and property, or 47 Sheppard or 311 Jarvis for parenting and support. York Region families go to Newmarket; read how York Region family cases work.

Related questions

Toronto's Superior Court family process is described in what to expect at 361 University Avenue.

Sarbazevatan Law advises clients in Toronto, Thornhill and Richmond Hill on family law, in English, Persian (Farsi) and French. Call +1 (416) 628-2041 or use the contact page.