What is the Family Responsibility Office?
The Family Responsibility Office (FRO) works under the authority of the Family Responsibility and Support Arrears Enforcement Act, 1996. Its role is to help support payments flow from payors (people who make support payments) to recipients (people who receive them).
What does the Family Responsibility Office do?
The Family Responsibility Office (FRO) receives every support order made by a court in Ontario and enforces the amounts owed under the order. It also enforces private written agreements that include child or spousal support terms. Private written agreements can include separation agreements, other domestic contracts and paternity agreements. These types of agreements must first be filed with the Ontario Court of Justice, the Superior Court of Justice (Family Court) before they can be enforced by the FRO.
The FRO has the legal authority to collect court-ordered support payments and arrears of support and to take any of the following enforcement actions against those parents who do not meet their support responsibilities:
- collecting funds from federal sources (such as income tax refunds and employment insurance benefits);
- reporting the payor to the credit bureau;
- seizing the payor's bank account or assets;
- seizing lottery winnings;
- suspending the payor's passport and other federal licences;
- suspending the payor's driver's licence; and
- taking the payor to court on a default hearing.
We would like to arrange things for ourselves. Can we do this and not be involved with the Family Responsibility Office?
Payors and recipients may opt out of the Family Responsibility Office (FRO) in writing. This means that they withdraw their court order or agreement and any related support deduction order from enforcement by the FRO. Both the payor and recipient must complete the Notice of Withdrawal form . If the payor is not in compliance with the payment obligations the recipient may withdraw from the program unilaterally (without the payors consent). To withdraw without the payors consent complete the Notice by Support Recipient of Unilateral Withdrawal . Please note that if the case is currently on assignment , consent to withdraw must also be obtained from the Ministry of Community and Social Services or the municipality to which the case is assigned. If the case was previously assigned then any arrears owing to the assignee will continue to be enforceable by the FRO.
To re-open a closed case, a fee of $50 each will be charged to both the support recipient and the support payor if an order is reregistered with the FRO at a later date. If you are considering withdrawing from the program or have questions about this fee, please call our office at (416) 243-1909 or toll free 1-888-815-2757.
What should I do if the payor lives outside of Ontario?
Let the Family Responsibility Office (FRO) know the payor's address. The FRO may be able to send your case to the support enforcement agency in the payor's new jurisdiction. If that is possible, the other jurisdiction will be responsible for enforcing your case. You should continue to direct your questions or information to the FRO, to forward it to the other jurisdiction on your behalf.
For more information, please see:
Should I take support payments directly from the payor? Should I give support payments directly to the recipient?
If your case has been registered with the Family Responsibility Office (FRO), the payor must make ALL support payments through the FRO. Otherwise the FRO's records will not be accurate and it may show your case as being in arrears when it is not. The FRO charges a $100 administrative fee to make adjustments due to a direct payment, and it collects this fee from the payor. If the recipient regularly accepts direct payment from the support payor, the FRO may refuse to enforce the support order or agreement.
How much time does the employer have to start sending payments to the Family Responsibility Office?
The employer has up to 14 days from the time it first receives the support deduction notice to make the needed payroll adjustments. The employer should start deducting the support payments in the next pay period that follows receipt of the support deduction notice and send the payments to the Family Responsibility Office.
Before the employer starts taking deductions the support payor is responsible for making support payments to the Family Responsibility Office.
I owe arrears. The Court Order says I have to make my regular support payments plus an extra $150 per month until I pay off the arrears, but I can't afford it. Am I allowed to pay the Family Responsibility Office an extra $75 a month instead?
If a court has already ordered an arrears repayment schedule, the Family Responsibility Office cannot change the terms of the court order. Only the court can change your repayment plan.
I owe arrears plus my regular support payments. Must I pay all the arrears at once or can I make an arrangement with the Family Responsibility Office?
Yes, you can complete a Voluntary Arrears Payment Schedule Proposal form. Attach a completed and sworn FRO Financial Statement (Form 4) and send all the documents to the Family Responsibility Office. They will review your arrears repayment proposal.
Will people at work know that I am required to pay support?
The support deduction notice that is sent to your employer is a confidential document. It is automatically sent when there is a known employer. The law says that an employer is not allowed to give anyone information about you and the support payments you owe. An employer can only use the information to make the support deductions outlined in the support deduction notice and remit them to the Family Responsibility Office (FRO). The law also states that the employer cannot dismiss you, discipline you, punish or intimidate you for having support payments deducted from your pay and forwarded to the FRO.
The support payor says the employer has deducted support payments. Why have I not received payment yet?
Some reasons why the support recipient may have not yet received payment are:
- The employer sent the payment to the Family Responsibility Office (FRO) with incorrect or incomplete information (e.g., no FRO case number provided on the cheque or the wrong FRO case number given by employer).
- The employer deducted the payment from the payor, but has not yet sent it to the FRO.
- The FRO does not have your current address or direct deposit information.
- You are currently or were formerly in receipt of social assistance and have assigned your support order to the Ministry of Community and Social Services or some other social assistance delivery agent.
How long does it take for payments to reach the recipient?
When the Family Responsibility Office receives the payment, it is processed and sent out within 24 to 48 hours.
Do I have to notify the Family Responsibility Office if I move to a new address?
The payor must inform the Family Responsibility Office (FRO) within 10 days of any change of address, phone number or change in employment. As well, the recipient should inform the FRO within 10 days of any change in address or phone number.
I am a support recipient (person who receives payment) and the support order was made yesterday. What should I do now?
Step 1: Obtain court order and support deduction order
If you were represented by a lawyer in court, your lawyer should have prepared the court order and the court will prepare the support deduction order.
If a lawyer did not represent you, you should speak to the court staff.
The court order and support deduction order are sent to the Family Responsibility Office (FRO).
Step 2: Obtain FRO case number and registration package
When the FRO receives your support deduction order, you are assigned a FRO case number. You will receive a letter from the FRO with your case number and a registration package. Please complete the registration package and return it to the FRO as soon as possible.
Step 3: Support deduction notice is sent to employer
If the name of the payor's (person who owes support) employer or income source was provided on the support deduction order or your filing package, the FRO will send a support deduction order to the employer to notify them they are obligated to deduct your support payments from the payor's wages or salary and forward these deductions to the FRO. A support deduction notice is automatically sent when there is a known employer.
Step 4: Payment
The FRO will send you the payment when it is received. Whenever possible direct deposit is the preferred method of payment. It is more efficient and secure. To arrange for Direct Deposit, fill out the Registration for Direct Deposit for Recipients form in your registration package, or print it off of the website and return to the FRO.