Family Responsibility Office (FRO) and Default Hearings

The Family Responsibility Office (FRO) is the Ontario government program that collects, distributes and enforces child support and spousal support. When support is not paid, FRO can take enforcement steps that include suspending a driver’s licence and bringing the payor before a judge at a default hearing. Law Wise acts for people who pay support and people who receive it, based in Mississauga and serving the entire GTA and Ontario.

How the Family Responsibility Office works

Every support order made by an Ontario court states that it will be enforced by FRO unless it is withdrawn, and court orders for support are filed with FRO automatically. Support set out in a separation agreement can also be enforced by FRO once the agreement has been filed with the court. In most cases support is deducted from the payor’s pay and sent to FRO, which passes it on to the recipient.

FRO enforces the order or agreement as it is written. It does not:

• change the terms of a support order or agreement, including the amount
• pay the recipient when the payor misses a payment
• deal with parenting disputes

A support order can be withdrawn from FRO by written notice signed by the recipient and the payor, or by the recipient alone if the payor is not in compliance, unless the order says it cannot be withdrawn. Parents who pay each other directly should keep a careful record of every payment.

What FRO can do when support is not paid

• garnish a bank account, including up to half of a joint account
• have support deducted from federal payments such as income tax refunds, Employment Insurance and Canada Pension Plan benefits
• report the payor to the credit bureau
• suspend the payor’s driver’s licence
• ask the federal government to suspend a passport and other federal licences
• register a lien against the payor’s property
• file a writ of seizure and sale against land and other assets
• report the payor to a professional or occupational organization
• seize lottery winnings of more than $1,000
• require the payor to attend a default hearing

FRO may also charge a $400 administrative fee when it takes enforcement action. The list comes from the Ontario government’s page on enforcing support, updated 10 February 2026.

Driver’s licence suspension and refraining orders

When a support order filed with FRO is in default, FRO can serve a First Notice. The notice says that the payor’s driver’s licence may be suspended unless, within 30 days after the notice is served, the payor does one of three things:

• makes an arrangement that FRO accepts for complying with the order and paying the arrears
• pays all of the arrears
• obtains a refraining order from the court and files it with FRO

A refraining order is a court order directing FRO not to suspend the licence, on terms the court considers just, which may include payment terms. The main rules are:

• The motion is normally brought together with a motion to change the support order. It can be brought first if the payor or the payor’s lawyer undertakes to obtain a court date for the motion to change within 20 days.
• It is brought in the court that has the power to change the support order, with a financial statement and proof of income.
• A court can make a refraining order only within the 30-day period in the First Notice, and only one refraining order for each notice.
• A refraining order is temporary, and its payment terms do not stop arrears from building up.

Default hearings

If a support order filed with FRO is in default, FRO can serve a notice requiring the payor to deliver a financial statement and proof of income and to appear in court to explain the default. A recipient whose order is not filed with FRO can ask the court for a default hearing directly.

1. NoticeThe payor is served with a notice of default hearing, a statement of arrears, a default dispute form and a financial statement form.
2. Ten daysWithin 10 days after being served, the payor must serve and file a financial statement and a default dispute.
3. HearingAt the hearing the payor is presumed to be able to pay, and FRO’s statement of arrears is presumed to be correct, unless the payor proves otherwise.
4. OrderThe judge decides what the payor must do.

Unless the court is satisfied that the payor is unable to pay for valid reasons, it can order the payor to:

• pay all or part of the arrears by instalments or in a lump sum
• pay the arrears in full by a set date
• bring a motion to change the support order
• provide security for the arrears and future payments
• report to the court or to FRO at set times
• be imprisoned for up to 180 days, or until the arrears are paid if that is sooner

An order made at a default hearing does not stop arrears from building up and does not prevent other enforcement. A payor who does not attend can be arrested and brought before the court. A default hearing also does not change the support order itself. Only a motion to change can do that.

If you can no longer afford the payments

FRO must enforce the order as written, even after a job loss or a drop in income. If your circumstances have changed, bring a motion to change promptly, because arrears continue to build until the order is changed, and contact FRO about a voluntary payment plan for arrears. See our pages on child support and spousal support for when an order can be changed.

If you are owed support

• make sure the order, or the agreement filed with the court, is registered with FRO
• give FRO what you know about the payor’s employer, income, bank and property
• ask the court for a default hearing yourself if the order is not filed with FRO
• keep your own record of what has and has not been paid

How Law Wise helps with FRO matters

• bringing a motion for a refraining order within the 30-day period
• bringing or responding to a motion to change support
• preparing the financial statement and default dispute and representing payors at default hearings
• discussing payment arrangements with FRO on your behalf
• helping recipients file agreements and pursue arrears

Your file is handled by a Law Wise lawyer licensed by the Law Society of Ontario. Service is available in English, Urdu, Punjabi and Hindi, and, if you retain the firm, fees are explained and confirmed in writing before work starts.

Common questions about FRO

This page is general legal information for Ontario, current as of 10 October 2026. It is not legal advice and does not create a lawyer-client relationship. For advice about your situation, please speak with a lawyer.