Table 3
Court activity in family law cases, selected jurisdictions, cases initiated in 2008/2009Note 1

Table summary
This table displays the results of Court activity in family law cases. The information is grouped by Type of civil law case (appearing as row headers), First 90 days, Second 90 days, Second half of first year, Total first year , Second year , Third year and Fourth year , calculated using percent and number units of measure (appearing as column headers).
Type of civil law case First 90 days Second 90 days Second half of first year Total first year Second year Third year Fourth year
percent
Total family law cases  
Active cases 100 43 31 100 22 9 5
Continuously active since initiation 100 43 22 100 11 4 2
Renewed activityNote 2 Note ...: not applicable Note ...: not applicable 8 Note ...: not applicable 7 3 2
OtherNote 3 Note ...: not applicable Note ...: not applicable Note ...: not applicable Note ...: not applicable 3 3 2
Inactive cases 0 57 69 0 78 91 95
No later activity recorded Note ...: not applicable 43 60 Note ...: not applicable 74 89 95
DormantNote 4 Note ...: not applicable 14 10 Note ...: not applicable 4 2 Note ...: not applicable
Total cases 100 100 100 100 100 100 100
  number
Average number of documents filed 4.3 2.8 3.9 6.7 5.3 5.3 5.4
Average number of hearings 1.1 1.1 1.6 2.0 1.9 1.7 1.5
Average number of judgements 1.2 1.4 1.8 2.3 2.2 2.0 1.8
  percent
Percentage of cases with a judgement 52 62 65 74 61 58 54
Percentage of cases with a settlement, withdrawal or dismissal 5 5 5 8 18 8 8
Child custody and/or access  
Active cases 100 57 46 100 34 17 11
Continuously active since initiation 100 57 38 100 22 9 4
Renewed activityNote 2 Note ...: not applicable Note ...: not applicable 8 Note ...: not applicable 7 3 3
OtherNote 3 Note ...: not applicable Note ...: not applicable Note ...: not applicable Note ...: not applicable 5 4 3
Inactive cases 0 43 54 0 66 83 89
No later activity recorded Note ...: not applicable 30 45 Note ...: not applicable 61 80 89
DormantNote 4 Note ...: not applicable 13 10 Note ...: not applicable 5 3 Note ...: not applicable
Total cases 100 100 100 100 100 100 100
  number
Average number of documents filed 5.2 3.1 4.5 9.1 6.6 6.5 6.4
Average number of hearings 1.6 1.4 1.9 3.2 2.5 2.2 1.9
Average number of judgements 1.9 2.0 2.6 4.2 3.3 2.8 2.5
  percent
Percentage of cases with a judgement 63 65 70 85 72 68 64
Percentage of cases with a settlement, withdrawal or dismissal 7 4 4 11 10 7 7
Child support (only)  
Active cases 100 54 40 100 26 12 7
Continuously active since initiation 100 54 33 100 16 6 2
Renewed activityNote 2 Note ...: not applicable Note ...: not applicable 7 Note ...: not applicable 6 3 2
OtherNote 3 Note ...: not applicable Note ...: not applicable Note ...: not applicable Note ...: not applicable 4 3 2
Inactive cases 0 46 60 0 74 88 93
No later activity recorded Note ...: not applicable 34 52 Note ...: not applicable 70 86 93
DormantNote 4 Note ...: not applicable 12 8 Note ...: not applicable 4 2 Note ...: not applicable
Total cases 100 100 100 100 100 100 100
  number
Average number of documents filed 4.5 2.7 3.4 7.3 4.6 4.4 4.4
Average number of hearings 1.2 1.3 1.8 2.6 2.2 1.9 1.7
Average number of judgements 1.3 1.5 2.0 2.9 2.3 2.1 1.8
  percent
Percentage of cases with a judgement 60 63 67 83 67 63 59
Percentage of cases with a settlement, withdrawal or dismissal 5 4 6 9 11 10 11
Child protection  
Active cases 100 48 34 100 16 5 2
Continuously active since initiation 100 48 30 100 14 4 1
Renewed activityNote 2 Note ...: not applicable Note ...: not applicable 4 Note ...: not applicable 2 1 1
OtherNote 3 Note ...: not applicable Note ...: not applicable Note ...: not applicable Note ...: not applicable 1 1 Note 0s: value rounded to 0 (zero) where there is a meaningful distinction between true zero and the value that was rounded
Inactive cases 0 52 66 0 84 95 98
No later activity recorded Note ...: not applicable 48 64 Note ...: not applicable 83 94 98
DormantNote 4 Note ...: not applicable 5 2 Note ...: not applicable 1 1 Note ...: not applicable
Total cases 100 100 100 100 100 100 100
  number
Average number of documents filed 4.7 3.1 4.7 7.8 7.0 6.1 7.0
Average number of hearings 2.6 1.9 2.7 4.4 3.8 3.5 3.2
Average number of judgements 2.4 1.7 2.3 4.0 3.3 2.9 2.7
  percent
Percentage of cases with a judgement 89 69 69 94 71 66 67
Percentage of cases with a settlement, withdrawal or dismissal 7 5 7 11 10 9 8
Uncontested divorce  
Active cases 100 41 21 100 14 5 3
Continuously active since initiation 100 41 9 100 2 Note 0s: value rounded to 0 (zero) where there is a meaningful distinction between true zero and the value that was rounded Note 0s: value rounded to 0 (zero) where there is a meaningful distinction between true zero and the value that was rounded
Renewed activityNote 2 Note ...: not applicable Note ...: not applicable 12 Note ...: not applicable 9 3 2
OtherNote 3 Note ...: not applicable Note ...: not applicable Note ...: not applicable Note ...: not applicable 3 1 1
Inactive cases 0 59 79 0 86 95 97
No later activity recorded Note ...: not applicable 37 66 Note ...: not applicable 82 93 97
DormantNote 4 Note ...: not applicable 22 12 Note ...: not applicable 5 2 Note ...: not applicable
Total cases 100 100 100 100 100 100 100
  number
Average number of documents filed 4.2 2.4 2.8 5.8 3.4 2.7 2.8
Average number of hearings 0.4 0.5 0.5 0.7 0.5 0.3 0.2
Average number of judgements 0.6 1.0 1.0 1.3 0.8 0.5 0.4
  percent
Percentage of cases with a judgement 44 71 67 83 49 26 23
Percentage of cases with a settlement, withdrawal or dismissal Note 0s: value rounded to 0 (zero) where there is a meaningful distinction between true zero and the value that was rounded 1 1 1 32 7 7
Adoption  
Active cases 100 6 4 100 2 1 Note 0s: value rounded to 0 (zero) where there is a meaningful distinction between true zero and the value that was rounded
Continuously active since initiation 100 6 1 100 Note 0s: value rounded to 0 (zero) where there is a meaningful distinction between true zero and the value that was rounded 0 0
Renewed activityNote 2 Note ...: not applicable Note ...: not applicable 2 Note ...: not applicable 1 Note 0s: value rounded to 0 (zero) where there is a meaningful distinction between true zero and the value that was rounded Note 0s: value rounded to 0 (zero) where there is a meaningful distinction between true zero and the value that was rounded
OtherNote 3 Note ...: not applicable Note ...: not applicable Note ...: not applicable Note ...: not applicable Note 0s: value rounded to 0 (zero) where there is a meaningful distinction between true zero and the value that was rounded Note 0s: value rounded to 0 (zero) where there is a meaningful distinction between true zero and the value that was rounded Note 0s: value rounded to 0 (zero) where there is a meaningful distinction between true zero and the value that was rounded
Inactive cases 0 94 96 0 98 99 100
No later activity recorded Note ...: not applicable 90 95 Note ...: not applicable 98 99 100
DormantNote 4 Note ...: not applicable 3 1 Note ...: not applicable Note 0s: value rounded to 0 (zero) where there is a meaningful distinction between true zero and the value that was rounded Note 0s: value rounded to 0 (zero) where there is a meaningful distinction between true zero and the value that was rounded Note ...: not applicable
Total cases 100 100 100 100 100 100 100
  number
Average number of documents filed 2.7 1.4 1.7 2.8 2.8 3.2 3.3
Average number of hearings 0.7 0.6 0.8 0.8 1.0 0.7 0.3
Average number of judgements 1.0 0.7 1.0 1.1 0.8 0.6 0.5
  percent
Percentage of cases with a judgement 79 58 67 82 43 50 50
Percentage of cases with a settlement, withdrawal or dismissal Note 0s: value rounded to 0 (zero) where there is a meaningful distinction between true zero and the value that was rounded 2 2 Note 0s: value rounded to 0 (zero) where there is a meaningful distinction between true zero and the value that was rounded 0 0 0
Other family law casesNote 5  
Active cases 100 31 24 100 20 7 4
Continuously active since initiation 100 31 16 100 8 3 1
Renewed activityNote 2 Note ...: not applicable Note ...: not applicable 7 Note ...: not applicable 8 2 2
OtherNote 3 Note ...: not applicable Note ...: not applicable Note ...: not applicable Note ...: not applicable 4 3 1
Inactive cases 0 69 76 0 80 93 96
No later activity recorded Note ...: not applicable 54 66 Note ...: not applicable 76 90 96
DormantNote 4 Note ...: not applicable 15 11 Note ...: not applicable 4 2 Note ...: not applicable
Total cases 100 100 100 100 100 100 100
  number
Average number of documents filed 3.5 2.7 3.6 5.2 4.5 4.7 4.8
Average number of hearings 0.6 0.8 1.1 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.0
Average number of judgements 0.6 0.7 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.2 1.1
  percent
Percentage of cases with a judgement 36 48 54 52 50 51 48
Percentage of cases with a settlement, withdrawal or dismissal 6 8 8 10 24 11 10
Non-family cases (general civil courts)  
Active cases 100 40 33 100 21 13 7
Continuously active since initiation 100 40 21 100 8 3 1
Renewed activityNote 2 Note ...: not applicable Note ...: not applicable 12 Note ...: not applicable 9 6 2
OtherNote 3 Note ...: not applicable Note ...: not applicable Note ...: not applicable Note ...: not applicable 5 4 3
Inactive cases 0 60 67 0 79 87 93
No later activity recorded Note ...: not applicable 39 53 Note ...: not applicable 71 85 93
DormantNote 4 Note ...: not applicable 21 14 Note ...: not applicable 8 2 Note ...: not applicable
Total cases 100 100 100 100 100 100 100
  number
Average number of documents filed 3.8 2.3 2.7 5.6 3.3 3.4 3.3
Average number of hearings 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.6 0.8 0.8 1.0
Average number of judgements 0.6 0.5 0.7 1.0 0.9 0.8 0.9
  percent
Percentage of cases with a judgement 36 34 38 53 43 42 46
Percentage of cases with a settlement, withdrawal or dismissal 3 7 25 14 23 32 33
... not applicable
0s value rounded to 0 (zero) where there is a meaningful distinction between true zero and the value that was rounded
Note 1.

Includes all cases initiated in fiscal year 2008/2009, including those no longer active (reporting no court events) in each period. Excludes cases where information on events in the first 90 days (including case initiation events) is not recorded (0.27% of family law cases and 1.6% of general civil court cases).

Return to note 1 referrer

Note 2.

Cases which were inactive, with no court events reported, in the previous period.

Return to note 2 referrer

Note 3.

Cases which were active in the preceding period (reporting some court events), but inactive in some earlier period.

Return to note 3 referrer

Note 4.

Dormant cases are inactive in the current period, but reporting court events in some later period.

Return to note 4 referrer

Note 5.

Other family related cases include issues of contested divorce (with no child issues), separation, spousal support, property division, guardianship, and estate matters, among others.

Return to note 5 referrer

Note: Based on information provided by Nova Scotia, Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. Percentages do not add to 100% due to rounding. Active cases are those with any court events reported in a given time period. Inactive cases are those with no court events reported during a given time period.
Source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Civil Court Survey.
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