Paying and receiving child and spousal support
Learn how the Family Responsibility Office (FRO) helps you pay and receive your support, and what to do if a payment is missed.
Paying support
We know you want to do the right thing and support your family. We’re here to help you meet your responsibilities.
When you have a case open with FRO, you must make your support payments to FRO only.
Once we receive a payment, we send it to the support recipient usually within one to two business days.
Do not pay the support recipient directly.
If you send a payment directly to the recipient, it will not show up on your FRO account. We will charge you $100 every time we have to adjust your account to make it show the correct amount.
You should keep records of your support payments. We do not issue year-end statements.
If you or the recipient live outside of Ontario there is a different process. Learn about child and spousal support when one person lives outside of Ontario.
When you are employed or getting paid regularly from an income source
When the Ontario court makes a support order, it also gives us the right to send a support deduction notice to your employer or other income source. Your employer, pension, or other income source will then deduct the amount of support that you owe from your net pay and send it to us.
It may take some time for your employer to set up the automatic deductions. Until they are set up, you must send FRO the support payments on your own.
When you are self-employed, unemployed or not on a regular payroll
If you are self-employed, unemployed or not on a regular payroll, you must pay FRO on your own. There are several ways you can do that.
Paying on your own
Pre-authorized debit (PAD) from your bank account
You can make pre-authorized support payments by completing the pre-authorized debit application for payors form and sending it to us.
Send the form by uploading it to FRO Online, or send it to:
Family Responsibility Office
Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services
PO Box 200, Station A
Oshawa, Ontario
L1H 0C5
Pay through a bank
The Family Responsibility Office is a registered payee with most banks and credit unions. You can arrange to make your payments online, by telephone banking, or in cash.
To make your support payments through online banking:
- Log in to your bank’s website or app
- Go to the section where you pay bills
- Add the Family Responsibility Office as a payee or bill – you may find us listed under “Ontario”
- For the “account number,” enter your seven-digit FRO case number, that starts with 0 or 1.
To register for telephone banking, call your bank. Make sure you have your seven-digit FRO case number with you.
If you need to pay in cash, you may pay at a bank. Tell the bank you need make a payment to the Family Responsibility Office and give them your case number. Make sure you get a receipt and keep it.
Cheque or money order
Make your cheque or money order payable to the Director, Family Responsibility Office and mail it to:
Family Responsibility Office
Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services
PO Box 2204, Station P
Toronto, Ontario
M5S 3E9
Remember, always include your seven-digit FRO case number and your full name (including first and last names) on your payments and in all correspondence with us. Do not include your personal identification number (PIN).
If you do not include your case number and name on the cheque, we will be unable to process the payment and you will be at risk of enforcement action.
Alternative payment orders
Alternative payment orders allow a support payor to pay by a method other than automatic income deductions under a support deduction order.
Alternative payment orders are made by a judge in limited circumstances.
If you want to ask the court to make an alternative payment order, complete the appropriate sections of the alternative payment order form before your court date.
If you or the support recipient has a lawyer, the lawyer will complete the rest of the form based on what the judge orders. If neither of you has a lawyer, give the form to the court clerk and the court will complete the rest of the form based on what the judge orders.
Learn more about paying arrears
Ending support payments
Generally, you should keep making payments until we tell you in writing that you can stop.
Ontario laws do not set automatic end dates for child or spousal support payments. For example, support does not automatically end when a child turns 18. However, support orders and domestic contracts may set a date or an event called a 'terminating event' that ends support payments.
When an order or contract does not say when support payments end, the support payor and support recipient must both agree to end the payments. If they cannot agree on ending the payments, they may have to go to court and have a judge decide.
If there is a terminating event
Some support orders or domestic contracts set a 'terminating event' that ends support payments. For example, a terminating event for child support could be the child leaving school or starting full-time work. A terminating event for spousal support could be remarriage.
Both the payor and recipient must agree that a terminating event has occurred for FRO to stop enforcing support payments without a court order.
Keep us informed. If you have a court order that ends support, send a copy of it to us. Or if you believe a terminating event has happened, contact us. We will review your file and take appropriate action.
If you tell us that support should end
If you believe that your support should end or has ended, you can tell us by completing the application to discontinue enforcement of ongoing support form and send it to us. This form can be completed and submitted via FRO Online or you can download and fill in the form and send it to:
Family Responsibility Office
Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services
PO Box 200, Station A
Oshawa, Ontario
L1H 0C5
After you contact us, we will send a letter to the support recipient for confirmation. How the recipient responds will determine what we will do next.
- If the recipient denies that support should end, we will continue to enforce the support order. If you still believe that support should end, you may have to go back to court.
- If the recipient does not respond to our request, we can stop enforcing support payments or enforce a lower amount of support. However, if the recipient tells us later that payments should not have ended, we can start enforcing payments again.
- If the recipient agrees in writing to end support, we will tell you in writing that you can stop making support payments.
Our office will continue to collect support for other dependents on the support order (if there are other dependents on the support order), as well as any arrears, or money you still owe. Sometimes that means paying us even after your support payments have ended because you may still owe us money for:
- enforcement costs
- administrative costs, including banking fees
- court costs
When support payors should contact us
To help us keep accurate information about you and help avoid possible enforcement actions, contact us immediately if:
- your financial situation changes, such as due to losing your job
- you fall behind on your payments
- your name, address or employer/source of income changes
- you believe that your obligation to pay support has ended
- you receive a notice of enforcement action from FRO
You may also wish to contact a lawyer to find out what your options are. We cannot change the amount of support you pay. Only a judge can change the amount of support in your support order.
Paying arrears
Most of our clients willingly pay their support fully and on time.
Unfortunately, sometimes people fall behind on their support responsibilities.
If you fall behind on your support responsibilities, the money that you owe is called arrears.
If you fall behind in your support payments, contact our office right away.
Send a message through FRO Online or call:
You may also send a letter to:
Family Responsibility Office
Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services
PO Box 200, Station A
Oshawa, Ontario
L1H 0C5
Together, we can work out a voluntary payment plan, called a voluntary arrears payment schedule.
Through a voluntary arrears payment schedule, you and FRO work together to develop a plan that will help you pay down the amount you owe while also paying ongoing support. You will need to complete two forms:
If you do not meet your support responsibilities, we have the legal authority and responsibility to take enforcement action to recover the money that you owe.
Receiving support
When you will receive your first payment
If there are no complications with enforcing the payments, you can expect to start receiving them within 30 to 60 days of registration. If the payor is not making payments or if we do not know who their employer is, it may take longer to receive your first payment.
If you or the payor live outside of Ontario there is a different process. Learn about child and spousal support when one person lives outside of Ontario.
Receive your payments by direct deposit
When we register your case, we will send you a registration for direct deposit form. This form gives us permission to deposit support payments directly into your bank account.
When we receive a support payment, we deposit it in your account usually within two business days if we have all the correct account information. Make sure you let us know immediately if any of your banking information changes.
If there are changes to your banking information, please send us a new registration for direct deposit form.
Tell us right away if you get a payment directly from the payor. When your case is filed with us, the payor must make all support payments through our office.
Delayed payments
If you haven’t received a payment in more than 30 days, please contact us.
Send a message through FRO Online or call us:
Toronto:
Agents are available Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Do not contact the payor’s employer or income source.
Payments may be late for several reasons, including:
- postal delays
- payments with missing or incorrect information (such as the wrong seven-digit case number)
- a change in the payor’s employment
If you need us to send you a new cheque because a previous cheque was lost, please fill out the affidavit for a lost cheque form and send it to us.
Send the form by uploading it to FRO Online, or send it to:
Family Responsibility Office
Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services
PO Box 200, Station A
Oshawa, Ontario
L1H 0C5
If the payor has not been making payments, we will first try to work with them to develop a payment plan for the amount that is owed, while making ongoing support payments.
If the payor does not set up a payment plan, we can take enforcement action.
Unpaid support and interest
You need to complete a Statement of Arrears form to let us know about any support payments, special expenses or court costs (related to support) you did not receive before your case was registered or which become owed to you at other times during the life of your case with FRO.
Learn how to complete a Statement of Arrears form and get the unpaid support and interest you are owed.
Log into FRO Online to get information about your support payments.
When to contact us
Contact us immediately if:
- your name, address, telephone number or banking information changes
- you have any new information about the person who is paying your support, such as a new name, address, telephone number, job or financial situation
- you believe that the support obligation has ended
- you receive a letter from us requesting that you confirm or deny that support has ended
- the support payor has used or is using a different name from the one on the support order, including nicknames, aliases or different spellings
Contact us
Before you contact us
To get case information, you must have your seven-digit case number.
You will need your personal identification number (PIN) to get automated information only.
Do not share your PIN with anyone, including our staff.
If one person lives outside of Ontario, please contact the interjurisdictional support orders unit.
If you’re looking for information about your support payments, you may be able to get the information you need without speaking to someone.
Learn more about our self-serve options to help you get information about your support payments.
Phone
Call us to:
- get general information about FRO
- speak to us or leave a message
- access automated information about recent transactions on your case
Toronto:
Agents are available Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Automated information about your case is available 24 hours a day.
Mailing us payments
Mail payments to:
Family Responsibility Office
Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services
PO Box 2204, Station P
Toronto, Ontario
M5S 3E9
All payments must:
- be payable to “Director, Family Responsibility Office”
- include your case number and first and last name
This address is for payments only. Do not send correspondence to this address.
Sending us a letter
You can send us a letter or form through FRO Online if you are registered and have a case number.
You can also mail correspondence and forms without payments to:
Family Responsibility Office
Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services
PO Box 200, Station A
Oshawa, Ontario
L1H 0C5
This address is for correspondence and forms only. Do not mail payments, such as cheques or money orders, to this address.
Serving court documents on FRO
You can serve court documents on FRO by mail, fax or email.
Email: FROlegalservice@ontario.ca.
This email is not for client service-related inquiries or for the delivery of other documents to FRO. For case-related inquiries, please contact us at
Mailing address:
Legal Services Branch
Family Responsibility Office
Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services
7th Floor-125 Sir William Hearst Avenue
North York, Ontario
M3M 0B5
Do not bring or send payments to this address. Get information about ways you can pay support.
If the payor or recipient lives outside of Ontario, please contact the interjurisdictional support orders unit.
Payors or recipients living outside of Ontario
For information or questions about payors or recipients who live outside of Ontario, contact the interjurisdictional support orders unit:
Toronto:
Family Responsibility Office
Interjurisdictional Support Orders Unit
PO Box 600, Steeles West Post Office
Toronto, Ontario
M3J 0K8
Canada
Do not send payments to this address. Please send payments to:
Family Responsibility Office
Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services
PO Box 2204, Station P
Toronto, Ontario
M5S 3E9
All payments must:
- be payable to “Director, Family Responsibility Office”
- include your case number and first and last name
Unresolved issue or service complaint
FRO is committed to delivering excellent service.
If you have an unresolved issue or service complaint, or if you would like to submit feedback, you can contact FRO’s director.
Freedom of information requests
If you would like to get access to government records using the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) or to correct your personal information, please complete the freedom of information access or correction request form and mail it to:
FIPPA Representative
Family Responsibility Office
Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services
PO Box 611, Steeles West Post Office
Toronto, Ontario
M3J 0K8
Learn about making a freedom of information request.
You must include a $5 cheque or money order payable to “Minister of Finance” and mark the envelope as “private and confidential.”