Family Law
6) I have been ordered to pay child support. What is the Family Responsibility Office? Is it true that they can take away my drivers license if I dont pay the support?
The Family Responsibility Office (FRO) was set up by the provincial government to enforce court orders for child and spousal support. The FRO can enforce orders made in Ontario, as well as orders from other provinces and even orders from certain countries. The FRO receives every support order made by a court in Ontario and enforces the amounts owed under the support order. The parties can however consent to withdraw their case from the FRO and have payment of child be exchanged between the parties themselves. The FRO has the legal authority to take enforcement action against people that do not pay support as ordered, including suspending your drivers license, negatively affecting your credit rating, garnishing your bank accounts and suspending your passport.
Once your support obligation is over, the FRO will not just stop enforcing the order. You must go to court for an order terminating your child support obligation. It is a good idea to consult a lawyer about whether your support obligation.